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4 


THE  LIFE  AND  ACTS 


°F| 

POPE  LEO  XIII. 


PRECEDED  BY  A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LAST  DAYS  OF 
PIUS  IX.  AND  THE  ORIGIN  AND  LAWS  OF 
THE  CONCLAVE. 


Neto  an&  UnlarjjcH  3Stiittott. 

WITH  SUPPLEMENTARY  CHAPTERS  CONTAINING 

THE  LATEST  AND  MOST  INTERESTING  EVENTS 

OF 

glxo  Jtoly  ffatfxer's  pontificate 

UP  TO  THE  END  OF  JULY,  1887. 


Compiled  and  Translated  front  Authentic  Sources  by 

REV.  JOSEPH  E.  KELLER,  S.  J., 

President  of  St.  Louis  University,  St.  Louis. 


With  the  Approbation  of  His  Eminence,  the  Cardinal,  Archbishop  of  New  York. 


Ncfo  gortt,  ©incinnatt,  an&  ©bica^o : 

BENZIGER  BROTHERS, 

Printers  to  the  Holy  Apostolic  See. 

1889. 


5mj)thnstut. 

John,  Cardinal  McCloskey, 


Archbishop  of  New  York. 


Copyright,  1882,  by  Benziger  Brothers. 
Copyright,  1887,  by  Benziger  Brothers. 


TO 

LEO  XIII., 

KING  AND  PONTIFF, 

CHOSEN  BY  THE  SUPREME  PASTOR  AS  A  WORTHY  SUCCESSOR  TO 

PIUS  THE  GREAT: 

LUMEN  IN  CCELO  after  CRUX  DE  CRUCE, 

WHOSE  BRILLIANT  DAWN 
HAS  GIVEN  PROMISE  OF  A  GLORIOUS  DAY, 

THIS  BOOK 

IS  OFFERED  AS  A  TRIBUTE  OF  HOMAGE — 


A  TOKEN  OF  FILIAL  DEVOTION 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2019  with  funding  from 
Getty  Research  Institute 


https://archive.org/details/lifeactsofpopele00kell_1 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 


I. 

Frontispiece  : — Oil-colored  portrait  of 

Pope 

Leo  XIII. 

2. 

The  Capitol,  ...... 

l6 

3- 

Cardinal  Monaco  La  Valetta, 

22 

4- 

Cardinal  Bilio,  ..... 

36 

5. 

The  Scala  Santa;  or.  Sacred  Stairs, 

37 

6. 

Cardinal  Amat,  ..... 

41 

7- 

The  Throne  Hall,  .... 

43 

8. 

The  Camerlengo  with  the  Silver  Mallet, 

53 

9- 

The  Inspection  of  the  Corpse, 

54 

10. 

The  Castle  and  Bridge  of  St.  Angelo, 

57 

II. 

St.  Peter’s  Church,  Rome, 

6l 

12. 

St.  Michael’s  Hospital, 

69 

13- 

The  Pantheon,  ..... 

75 

14. 

Cardinal  Borromeo,  .... 

79 

15- 

The  Bronze  Statue  of  St.  Peter, 

80 

l6. 

The  Church  of  St.  John  Lateran, 

81 

17- 

Gallery  in  the  Vatican,  . 

89 

18. 

Cardinal  Di  Pietro,  .... 

91 

19. 

Cardinal  Sacconi,  ..... 

0  • 

92 

20. 

The  Vatican  Library, 

93 

21. 

Pope  Pius  IX., . 

107 

22. 

The  Cross  in  the  Colosseum, 

115 

23- 

Framework  and  Room  of  the  Conclave, 

169 

24. 

Carrying  food  to  the  Conclave, 

177 

25- 

Examining  food  in  the  Conclave,  . 

178 

26. 

Depositing  ballots  in  the  Conclave, 

i  go 

27- 

The  Illumination  of  Rome, 

T97 

2S. 

The  Coronation  Procession, 

203, 

205 

29. 

The  Coliseum, . 

209 

30. 

The  Ancestral  Home  of  the  Peccis, 

214 

V 


VI 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

31.  View  of  Carpineto,  ........  216 

32.  View  of  Carpineto,  showing  the  Pecci  Ancestral  Home,  .  217 

33.  Mgr.  Pecci  and  the  Brigand-Marquis,  .....  220 

34.  Mgr.  Pecci  distributing  Alms  to  the  Poor,  .  .  .  223 

35.  View  of  Perugia,  .........  227 

-  36.  Reception  of  Bishop  Pecci,  in  Perugia, . 230 

37.  Archbishop  Pecci  receiving  the  Cardinal’s  Hat  from 

Pius  IX., . 233 

3S.  Voting  for  the  Pope,  ........  247 

39.  Cardinal  Panebianco,  ........  247 

40.  The  people  watching  for  the  “  Sfumata,”  ....  251 

41.  Cardinal  Caterini,  .  ........  252 

42.  The  Basilica  of  St.  Peter’s,  .......  255 

43.  Cardinal  Mertel,  .  ........  256 

44.  Interior  of  St.  Peter’s, . 257 

45.  The  Sistine  Chapel . 261 

46.  Cardinal  Guibert,  .........  264 

47.  The  Procession  in  the  Ducal  Hall, . 269 

48.  Cardinal  Wiseman,  ........  271 

49.  The  Crowning  of  Pope  Leo  XIII . 275 

50.  The  Arms  of  Pope  Leo  XIII.,  ......  282 

51.  View  of  Rome, . 295 

52.  Cardinal  McCloskey . 31 1 

53.  Cardinal  Ledochowski,  ........  337 

54.  Church  of  St.  Mary  Major, . 357 

55.  Cardinal  Pecci,  brother  of  the  Pope,  .....  378 

56.  Cardinal  Hergenrother,  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .381 

57.  Cardinal  Newman, . 382 

58.  The  Vatican  Library, . 389 

59.  The  Triumph  of  St.  Thomas . 397 

60.  Cardinal  Hassoun,  .........  408 

61.  Archbishop  Croke, . 410 

62.  The  Chapel  of  the  American  College,  Rome,  .  .  .  453 

63.  Archbishop  Walsh,  of  Dublin, . 460 

64.  Cardinal  Moran, . 463 

65.  Cardinal  Gibbons, . 467 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


Page 

Editor’s  Preface, . . 

PART  I.— PIUS  IX. 

SKETCH  OF  HIS  LIFE;  HIS  LAST  DAYS;  HIS 
DEATH  AND  BURIAL. 

Chapter 

I. — Sketch  of  the  Life  of  Pius  IX .  13 

II. — The  Last  Address  of  Pius  IX., . 21 

III.  — The  Final  Sickness . 27 

IV.  — The  Last  Hours,  .........  32 

V. — Death  of  Pius  IX., . 35 

VI. — The  Testimony  of  Rome . 47 

VII. — At  the  Bier . 52 

VIII. — The  Translation  of  the  Remains, . 60 

IX. — In  St.  Peters, . 66 

X. — The  Burial, . 77 

XI. — The  Obsequies, .  86 

XII. — Official  Biography  of  Pius  IX., . 99 

XIII. — Crux  de  Cruce, . 105 

PART  II.— THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 

HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE  ORIGIN  AND  LAWS  OF 
THE  CONCLAVE. 

I. — The  Catholic  Hierarchy, . .123 

II. — The  Papal  Election:  Historical  Sketch,  .  .  .  142 

III.  — Part  First:  The  Preliminary  Steps,  .....  154 

IV.  — Part  Second  :  The  Conclave . 166 

V. — Part  Third  :  Minor  Proceedings  connected  with  the  Conclave,  201 

VI. — Conclusion, . 211 


PART  III.— LIFE  OF  LEO  XIII. 

Chapter  I. 


PAGE 


Monsignor  Pecci.  Birth  at  Carpineto — The  Pecci  Palace — The 
Pecci  Family— Education  at  Viterbo  and  Rome— His  First 
Promotion — Ordination — Delegate  to  Benevento — War  on 
the  Banditti — Delegate  to  Spoleto  and  Perugia — Consecrated 
Bishop — Nuncio  to  Brussels — Visits  to  Germany  and  Eng¬ 
land — Appointed  Bishop  of  Perugia — Cardinal  in  Petto — 
Declared  Cardinal  by  Pius  IX — Life  and  Labors  at  Perugia 
during  32  Years — Camerlengo  of  the  Church — His  Last 
Pastoral  Letter, . ,  .  .  215 


Chapter  II. 

The  Election.  The  Office  of  Camerlengo  on  the  Death  of  the 
Pope — The  Conclave  of  1878 — The  First  Ballot — The  Second 
Ballot — The  Third  and  Last  Ballot — The  Ceremonies  of  Ac¬ 
ceptance — The  Public  Proclamation  by  Cardinal  Caterini — 

The  Rejoicings  at  Rome — The  First  Papal  Benediction — 

Leo  XIII.  and  France — The  Audiences,  ....  243 

Chapter  III. 

The  Coronation.  Retirement  and  Prayer — The  Cortege — The 
Papal  Throne — The  Tiara — Congratulations  of  the  Cardinals 
—The  Holy  Father’s  Answer,  ......  266 

Chapter  IV. 

The  First  Year  of  Pontificate.  The  Difficulties  of  the  Po-  , 
sition — Leo  XIII.  Communicates  the  News  of  his  Election  to 
the  Governments — Answer  of  Switzerland,  Russia,  and  Ger¬ 
many — The  Scotch  Hierarchy — Address  to  the  Parish  Priests 
of  Rome  and  to  the  Lenten  Preachers — The  First  Consistory 
— Allocution  of  Leo  XIII.' — Cardinal’s  Hat  bestowed  on  Car¬ 
dinal  McCloskey — The  First  Encyclical — Death  of  Cardinal 
Franchi — Brief  of  Leo  XIII.*  to  Cardinal  Nina — Care  for 
Higher  Ecclesiastical  Studies  according  to  the  Doctrine  of 
St.  Thomas — Address  on  this  Subject  to  the  Professors  of 
the  Roman  College — Brief  to  the  Archbishop  of  Cologne — 
Encyclical  of  December  28th — Jubilee  Proclamation,  .  .  2S1 


CONTENTS. 


IX 


Chapter  V. 

PAGE 

The  Second  Year  of  Pontificate.  Leo  XIII.  and  the  Catholic 
Press — Archbishop  Seghers— Leo  XIII.  and  Catholic  Educa¬ 
tion — New  Cardinals — Cardinals  Newman  and  Hergenrother 
— Settlement  of  the  Troubles  in  the  Eastern  Church — The 
new  Bishops  of  Hartford  and  of  Marquette  and  Sault  Sainte 
Marie — Letter  of  Leo  XIII.  on  Marriage — Bishops  Leray  and 
Brondel — The  Encyclical  Aeterni  Patris — Letter  of  Arch¬ 
bishops  of  New  York,  Boston,  and  Philadelphia — Bishops 
Junger  and  Elder — Encyclical  on  Marriage  and  Divorce,  .  362 

Chapter  VI. 

The  Third  Year  of  Pontificate.  The  Holy  See  and  Belgium 
— Archbishop  Heiss — Bishops  Watterson  and  Marty — Ency¬ 
clical  on  SS.  Cyril  and  Methodius — Cardinal  Jacobini  made 
Secretary  of  State — Archbishops.  Corrigan  and  Feehan — Car¬ 
dinal  Hassoun — Audience  with  Irish  Bishops — Bishop 
Janssens — The  Jubilee  of  1881 — Assassination  of  the  Emperor 
Alexander  II.  of  Russia — Bishops  Flasch  and  McMullen — 
Encyclical  on  Subjection  to  Constituted  Powers — Letters  of 
Condolence  to  the  American  People  on  the  Assassination  of 
President  Garfield — The  Sclav  Pilgrimage— Translation  of  the 
Remains  of  Pius  IX. — Disgraceful  Riots — Allocution  of  Leo 
XIII.  on  the  Riot — Bishops  Wigger  and  O’Farrell — Canoniza¬ 
tion  of  four  New  Saints, . 396 

Chapter  VII. 

The  Fourth  Year  of  Pontificate.  Honors  to  St.  Teresa — 
Bishops  Northrop,  Gallagher,  and  Richter — St.  Thomas’s 
Philosophy — Cardinal  McCabe — The  Year  1883 — The  Pope’s 
Interest  in  Irish  Affairs — Conciliatory  Action  of  the  German 
Government — The  May  Laws  Modified — The  Third  Order  of 
St.  Francis — Bishop  Rademacher — Archbishops  Elder  and 
Riordan — Brief  on  the  Study  of  History;  the  Vatican  Ar¬ 
chives  Thrown  Open  to  Scholars — October  the  Month  of  the 
Rosary  —  Devotion  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  —  Archbishop 
Leray,  . . 439 


Chapter  VIII. 

The  Sixth  Year  of  Pontificate.  The  American  College — The 
Church  in  France — The  Encyclical  on  Freemasonry— Bishop 


X 


CONTENTS. 


PACE 

Bradley — A  Second  Encyclical  on  the  Rosary — Bishops  Maes 
and  Cosgrove— The  Year  1885 — Archbishop  Gross — Arch¬ 
bishop  Walsh  of  Dublin — Bishop  Durier — St.  Vincent  de  Paul, 
the  Patron  of  all  Charitable  Works — Cardinal  Moran — Bishop 
Phelan — The  decree  Urbis  et  Orlns,  regarding  the  Rosary — 

The  Encyclical  of  “The  Christian  Constitution  of  States-’ — 

A  Universal  Jubilee — The  Holy  Father  as  Arbitrator  in  the 
Affair  of  the  Caroline  Islands.  .  .  ...  .  .  452 

Chapter  IX. 

The  Year  1886.  Letter  to  the  Bishops  of  Germany — Bishop 
Katzer — The  American  Cardinals:  Gibbons,  Taschereau,  and 
Mazella — Bishops  Scanlan,  Ludden,  and  Curtis — The  English 
Martyrs — 1887— Bishop  Harkins — Leo  XIII.  and  Ireland: 

The  Papal  Envoys — Bishops  Scannel,  Bonacum,  and  Burke — 

The  Golden  Jubilee  of  Leo  XIII. — Conclusion,  .  .  .  466 


PREFACE. 


v 


The  title-page  of  this  compilation  sufficiently  indicates  its 
nature,  and  a  preface  would  be  superfluous  were  it  not  the 
editor’s  duty  to  give  the  public  some  information  in  regard  to 
the  sources  from  which  he  has  drawn  his  materials,  and  the 
manner  in  which  the  book  has  been  put  together. 

That  a  book  of  this  kind  was  needed  is  evident  from  the 
very  greatness  of  the  names  which  form  our  title-page  ;  but 
that  the  need  is  supplied  only  now,  when  nearly  a  year  has 
elapsed  since  the  death  of  Pius  IX.  and  the  election  of  his 
successor,  seems  to  require  some  explanation. 

Letters  from  Roman  correspondents  to  newspapers  in  the 
various  countries  of  the  Old  and  the  New  Worlds  ;  pamphlets 
purporting  to  give  correct  information  on  the  great  events 
which  form  our  subject  ;  books,  large  and  small,  entitled 
“  Life  of  Pius  IX.”  and  “  Life  of  Leo  XIII.”  were  hurriedly 
poured  from  the  press  ;  and  it  was  to  be  expected  that  mere 
rumors  would,  in  many  instances,  be  stated  as  facts,  and  that 
the  haste  of  the  writers  would  betray  them  into  many  errors 
and  exaggerations.  It  was,  therefore,  necessary  to  wait  till 
the  fermentation  had  subsided,  and  we  could  obtain  a  clear 
view  of  the  subject  in  hand.  It  was  necessary  to  compare  the 
several  writings,  and  to  correct  or  supplement  one  by  another. 

It  was  necessary,  moreover,  to  combine  the  various  parts 
into  something  like  an  homogeneous  whole.  Then  came  the 
laborious  task  of  translation  from  the  German,  French,  and 
Italian  originals.  All  this  would  be  more  than  sufficient  to 
account  for  the  delay  ;  but  it  is  not  all.  The  manifold  and 


PREFACE. 


xii 

never-ceasing  duties  of  college  life  rendered  it  impossible  to 
devote  to  this  work  any  other  time  than  that  of  the  summer 
vacation,  which  of  itself  is  not  favorable  to  such  a  task. 

But  the  editor  knew  that  he  could  call  to  his  aid  a  number 
of  willing  assistants  among  the  young  professors  of  several 
colleges,  who  would  come  together  during  that  season  of  re¬ 
pose.  And  it  is  to  their  good-will  and  to  their  diligent  pens 
that  this  book  owes  its  existence.  The  editor,  therefore,  as  in 
duty  bound,  here  places  all  the  merit  of  this  production  where 
it  justly  belongs,  and  takes  no  credit  to  himself  beyond  what 
is  implied  in  the  act  of  suggesting  this  manner  of  relieving 
the  sports  of  vacation  by  an  occasional  hour  of  literary  labor. 

In  the  choice  of  our  materials  we  have  gone  to  the  best 
sources  within  our  reach.  The  writings  of  men  who  were 
present  in  Rome  and  well  versed  in  the  ceremonial  of  the  Pa¬ 
pal  Court,  have  been  our  chief  contributors. 

The  first  part  of  our  volume  is  taken  from  a  pamphlet  in 
German  by  the  Rev.  G.  Schmid  von  Griineck,  a  resident  of 
Rome.  The  second  part  is  from  a  book  by  Philippus  Laicus, 
a  writer  of  considerable  research.  The  Life  of  Leo  XIII. 
was  gathered  from  several  French  writers,  the  chief  of  whom 
is  A.  Chaulieu,  some  of  whose  statements,  however,  we  have 
deemed  it  proper  to  correct  and  others  to  amplify,  with  the 
aid  of  the  German  Life  of  Leo  XIII.,  by  Dr.  A.  de  Waal, 
rector  of  the  German  Campo  Santo  at  Rome.  For  the  acts 
of  the  new  Pope  during  the  first  year  of  his  reign,  we  have 
drawn  from  the  Civilta  Cattolica  and  other  foreign  and  do¬ 
mestic  periodicals  of  known  merit. 

We  feel  that  our  work  has  been  done  very  imperfectly  ; 
but  the  public,  now  informed  of  the  difficulties  under  which 
we  undertook  it,  will  be  lenient  in  their  judgment,  and  will 
overlook  the  deficiencies  of  the  style,  in  consideration  of  the 
interesting  and  useful  matter  which  has  been  gathered  for 
their  benefit. 


The  Editor. 


PIUS  THE  NINTH. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  SKETCH  OF  HIS  LIFE. 

US  THE  NINTH!  presents  in 
his  life  a  picture  so  grand,  so 
richly  set,  that  he  who  attempts 
to  write  his  biography  is  at  a 
loss  as  to  what  should  be  made 
most  prominent,  and  what  may 
be  passed  over,  without  injustice 
to  the  subject. 

We  will  once  more  call  briefly 
to  mind  his  life  so  fraught  with 
good  works,  and,  .viewing  his 
great  deeds,  try  to  soothe  the 
sorrow  caused  by  his  departure 
from  this  world. 

John  Mastai-Ferretti  was  born 
on  the  13th  of  May,  1792,  in  a  little  village  in  the 
Marches.  He  was  the  son  of  the  Count  Girolamo 
Mastai  and  the  Countess  Solazzi.  In  1803,  at  the 
tender  age  of  eleven,  he  began  his  studies  in  the  col¬ 
lege  at  Volterra,  at  that  time  under  the  direction  of 
the  Reverend  Father  Inghirami.  In  this  institution 
he  received  the  tonsure  from  the  hands  of  Monsignor 
Incontri,  Bishop  of  Volterra.  In  1807  he  had  an 


14 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


attack  of  epilepsy,  and  this  was  the  reason  of  his 
being  declared  unlit  to  be  received  into  the  Guard  of 
Honor  instituted  by  Napoleon  I.  And  to  this  like¬ 
wise  the  rumors  that  John  Maria  Mastai  had  wished 
to  enter  the  Pope’s  Noble  Guard  owe  their  origin. 

These  reports,  however,  are  unfounded.  For  the 
young  count  had,  from  his  earliest  boyhood,  resolved 
to  consecrate  his  life  to  the  clerical  state.  But  as  his 
sickness  stubbornly  clung  to  him,  he  was  permitted 
to  carry  out  his  idea  only  on  condition  that  while  cel¬ 
ebrating  mass  he  would  have  another  priest  standing 
by  his  side. 

On  Easter  Sunday,  1819,  he  celebrated  his  first 
mass  in  the  little  church  of  St.  Anne  dei  Falegnami,  the 
church  of  the  Joiners’  Guild,  situated  near  the  boys’ 
orphanage  of  Tata  Giovanni,  to  which  he  was  to  be 
afterwards  so  closely  attached.  The  restriction  to 
which  he  was  bound  at  his  ordination  was,  a  short 
time  after,  removed  by  Pius  VII.,  and  in  fact  from 
1818  to  1878  he  was  ever  spared  from  epileptic  at¬ 
tacks. 

In  1823  the  young  priest  Mastai,  together  with 
Mgr.  Muzi,  was  sent  to  Chili  in  South  America  to 
investigate  and  regulate  church  affairs.  Thence  he 
soon  returned,  and  in  1825  he  was  appointed  by  Leo 
XII.  director  of  the  great  hospital  San  Michele,  and 
twenty  months  afterwards  Archbishop  of  Spoleto. 
It  would  lead  us  too  far  to  enumerate  all  the  advan¬ 
tages  the  diocese  of  Spoleto  enjoyed  under  his  admin¬ 
istration.  Even  now,  after  the  lapse  of  half  a  century, 
old  people  speak  of  their  archbishop  Mastai  with 
an  emotion  that  moves  to  tears.  Let  it  suffice  to 
mention  here  how,  by  his  singular  prudence  and  the 
force  of  his  eloquence,  he  subdued  four  thousand 
insurrectionists  who  had  forced  their  way  into  Spo- 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


15 


Ieto,  so  that  of  their  own  accord  they  submitted  to 
lawful  authority. 

In  1832  he  was  removed  by  Gregory  XVI.  to 
Imola,  and  on  the  14th  of  December,  eight  years  later, 
he  was  raised  to  the  dignity  of  cardinal.  We  will 
pass  over  the  innumerable  benefits  bestowed  by  his 
charitable  hand  during  his  episcopate  ;  for  the  two 
dioceses  are  living  tongues  bespeaking  his  mildness 
and  benevolence. 

In  the  beginning  of  June,  1846,  Cardinal  Mastai 
was  called  to  Rome  for  the  election  of  a  successor  to 
Gregory  XVI.  The  Conclave  began  on  June  15th, 
and  on  the  evening  of  the  following  day  Cardinal 
Mastai  was  unanimously  declared  pope.  The  morn¬ 
ing  of  the  17th  announced  to  the  Catholic  world  that 
Cardinal  Mastai  had  ascended  the  papal  throne,  under 
the  name  of  Pius  IX. 

He  gave  himself,  heart  and  soul,  to  the  high  task 
now  imposed  upon  him.  Indeed  he  not  only  turned 
his  attention  to  the  government  of  the  Church  of 
Christ,  but  he  wished  also  to  withdraw  Italy  from 
the  abyss  into  which  it  was  rapidly  falling.  He  ear¬ 
nestly  endeavored  to  win  by  mildness  those  who  had 
gone  astray  under  the  reign  of  Gregory  XVI. 

Having  entered  upon  office  on  the  16th  of  July, 
his  first  act  was  to  grant  an  amnesty  to  all  political 
criminals,  who  in  course  of  time  repaid  this  act  of 
mildness  with  the  blackest  ingratitude.  To  promote 
the  welfare  of  Italy,  he  proposed  a  union  of  States  ; 
but  Piedmont,  according  to  the  historian  Farini, 
opposed  the  proposition.  To  remove  every  ground 
of  complaint  advanced  by  the  sects,  the  implacable 
enemies  of  absolute  monarchy  as  it  had  hitherto 
existed  in  the  States  of  the  Church,  Pius,  ahead  of  all 
the  princes  of  Italy,  gave  his  provinces  a  constitution. 


1 6  A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  HUS  IX. 

He  called  to  the  first  seat  in  his  ministry  the  some¬ 
what  liberal-minded  but  faithful  and  blameless  Pelle¬ 
grino  Rossi,  who  by  reason  of  his  uprightness  was 
the  terror  of  the  secret  societies  that  were  under¬ 
mining  Italy.  They  plotted  his  death.  Three  assas¬ 
sins  were  hired.  In  the  night  of  the  14th  of  November, 
1848,  they  dragged  a  corpse  from  the  hospital  St. 


Giacomo,  and  practised  on  it  for  the  intended  murder. 
On  the  15th  of  November,  when  Rossi  was  about  to 
enter  the  council  of  ministers,  some  one  pushed  him 
slightly,  just  as  he  put  his  foot  on  the  first  step  of  the 
staircase  leading  to  the  ministers’  hall.  He  turned 
round,  but  at  the  same  moment  the  deadly  steel  in¬ 
flicted  the  mortal  wound.  He  ascended  two  more 
steps  and  fell  a  corpse. 

We  will  not  rehearse  the  fearful  days  when  can¬ 
non  were  mounted  before  the  Quirinal  Palace  ;  we 
will  pass  over  the  assassination  of  Monsignor  Palma, 
at  the  very  side  of  the  Pope,  and  the  other  excesses 
which  branded  this  period  as  one  of  the  bloodiest  in 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


*7 


the  annals  of  Italian  history.  On  the  24th  of  No¬ 
vember  Pius  IX.  was  besieged  in  his  own  palace  of 
the  Quirinal.  He  succeeded,  however, with  the  assist¬ 
ance  of  the  Bavarian  minister,  Count  Spaur,  in  mak¬ 
ing  his  escape  from  the  hands  of  those  to  whom  but  a 
short  time  before  he  had  given  liberty. 

The  fugitive  received  the  most  cordial  reception 
from  Ferdinand  II.,  King  of  Naples.  His  stay  in 
Gaeta  lasted  until  the  republic  under  Mazzini  and 
Garibaldi  had  sufficiently  spent  its  rage  ;  and  on 
the  1 2th  of  April,  1850,  he  returned  to  Rome  amid 
the  repeated  acclamations  of  the  people.  He  adhered 
to  many  of  the  measures  he  had  adopted  in  1846. 
And  then,  during  the  quiet  and  happy  period  from 
1850  to  1859,  he  turned  all  the  energies  of  his  great 
mind  to  the  welfare  of  his  people  and  to  the  ad¬ 
vancement  of  religion.  In  proof  of  this  we  may  men¬ 
tion  the  many  memorials,  the  countless  monuments, 
the  magnificent  institutions,  which  remind  us  of  the 
munificence  of  the  great  pontiff,  and  also  the  crown 
of  lilies  with  which  he  encircled  the  brow  of  the  au¬ 
gust  Mother  of  God  in  declaring  her  immaculate. 

When  in  1859  the  war  between  Italy  and  France 
broke  out,  Pius  IX.  adopted  without  opposition  the 
plan  of  an  Italian  confederacy  as  proposed  by  Napo¬ 
leon  III.  Sardinia,  however,  opposed  its  execution. 
When  the  best  provinces  of  the  Church  were  lost  at 
Castelfidardo,  where  the  noble  Pimodan  renewed 
the  spectacle  of  Leonidas  at  Thermopylae,  Pius  IX. 
paid  all  his  officers,  and  liquidated  the  debt  that 
weighed  heavily  upon  the  States  of  the  Church,  with¬ 
out  making  an  assessment  on  the  subjects  of  the  patri¬ 
mony  of  St.  Peter  or  on  the  provinces  of  Civita 
Vecchia,  Frosinone,  and  Velletri.  He  was  just  en¬ 
gaged  in  carrying  out  one  of  his  grandest  designs  by 


1 8  A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 

the  work  of  the  General  Council,  when  the  storming 
of  the  Porta  Pia  put  an  end  to  its  deliberations.  In 
virtue  of  the  principle  of  “  accomplished  facts,”  the 
last  remnant  of  royalty  was  torn  from  him,  and  that, 
too,  without  protest  from  the  Catholic  powers.  But 
that  which  in  those  days  suffered  a  greater  defeat 
than  the  Pope’s  temporal  power,  was  the  justice  of 
united  Italy. 

But  the  steadfastness  of  Pius  IX.,  without  ever 
giving  way,  defied  every  storm.  For  no  skill  in  war, 
no  bayonets,  not  even  the  cannon’s  dreadful  roar, 
ever  silenced  his  Non  possumus.  He  persevered  in 
the  Vatican  as  a  faithful  general  at  his  post.  With¬ 
out  accepting  the  Guaranty  Laws  and  the  millions  of 
dollars  offered  him  by  the  King  of  Italy,  he  supported 
with  the  money  which  the  faithful  of  their  own  ac¬ 
cord  had  contributed,  as  a  token  of  their  love  for  St. 
Peter,  not  only  the  great  number  of  officers  faithful 
to  the  last,  but  also  many  bishops  who  had  been 
robbed  of  their  income.  Many  schools,  institutions, 
and  private  families  in  and  out  of  Rome  are  indebted 
for  a  very  considerable  assistance  to  the  liberality  of 
Pius  IX.  In  the  Vatican,  which  he  left  but  once  to 
give  solemn  audience  to  eight  thousand  Spanish  pil¬ 
grims,  he  celebrated  his  jubilees,  days  of  joy  for  the 
whole  Catholic  world.  From  the  Vatican  he  pub¬ 
lished  his  grand  encyclical  letters,  and  there  delivered 
the  animated  allocutions  which  like  the  voice  of  thun¬ 
der  were  heard  throughout  Europe.  There  he  re¬ 
ceived  the  pilgrims  who  came  in  vast  numbers  from 
every  clime  to  see  Pius  IX.,  to  hear  his  voice,  and 
to  return  to  their  homes  with  new  hopes  animating 
their  breasts.  And  in  the  Vatican,  too,  he  ended  his 
days,  and  entered,  on  the  7th  of  February,  1878, 
into  the  peace  of  the  Lord. 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


19 


To  give  light  and  color  to  the  general  outlines 
which  we  have  drawn  of  the  life  of  the  great  Pius,  we 
feel  it  our  duty  to  introduce  what  was  written  of  him 
by  a  Catholic  of  great  erudition,  but  who  now,  for 
the  empty  praises  of  men,  has  left  the  Church  he 
once  loved  so  ardently  and  defended  so  heroically  : 
“Whatever  can  be  expected  of  a  loving  monarch 
who  finds  relief  only  in  conferring  benefits,  that  is 
shown  forth  brilliantly  in  the  life  of  Pius  IX.  Per- 
transiit  benefaciendo.  He  went  about  doing  good. 
These  words,  though  spoken  of  a  higher  One,  may  be 
truly  applied  to  him.  As  far  as  a  princely  person  is 
concerned,  it  is  plainly  apparent  in  him  how  the 
papacy,  even  in  a  worldly  state,  can,  by  suitable  elec¬ 
tions,  be  the  most  noble  of  all  human  institutions. 
Here  is  one  in  the  full  vigor  of  manhood  whose  youth 
was  spent  in  innocence,  whose  episcopal  duties  were 
conscientiously  performed,  and  .who  is  now  raised  to 
the  highest  honors  and  to  princely  power.  He  is  a 
stranger  to  extravagance.  He  has  no  desire  but  to 
do  good.  He  has  no  ambition  but  to  be  loved  by  his 
people.  His  daily  occupations  are  divided  between 
prayer  and  the  work  of  a  ruler  ;  his  recreation  is  a 
walk  in  the  garden,  a  visit  to  some  church,  prison, 
or  benevolent  institution. 

“  Without  personal  want,  free  from  all  earthly  ties, 
he  has  no  relatives  to  advance,  no  favorites  ;  all  have 
like  claim,  like  access  to  him.  He  exercises  the  rights 
and  powers  of  his  office  for  no  other  end  than  to  do 
his  duty.  The  sparing  and  economical  management 
of  his  court  affords  him  ample  means  for  supplying 
the  wants  of  the  needy  and  the  suffering.  He  too,  like 
other  popes,  has  buildings  erected,  not  indeed  gor¬ 
geous  palaces,  but  structures  of  public  utility. 
Severely  wounded,  maltreated,  and  repaid  with  in- 


20 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


gratitude,  he  has  never  nourished  a  thought  of  re¬ 
venge,  never  committed  an  act  of  violence,  but  has 
always  forgiven  and  pardoned.  He  has  not  only 
tasted  of  the  cup  of  sweetness  and  of  bitterness,  of  the 
cup  of  the  favors  and  disfavors  of  men,  but  has  drain¬ 
ed  it  to  its  very  dregs  ;  he  has  heard  the.  ‘  hosanna' 
and  the  ‘  crucify  him.’  The  man  in  whom  he  placed 
his  confidence,  the  greatest  mind  of  his  nation,  fell  by 
the  dagger ;  the  ball  of  a  revolutionist  pierced  his 
friend  by  his  side.  No  feeling  of  hatred,  no  passing 
breath  of  bitterness,  has  tarnished  the  mirror  of  that 
pure  soul.  Not  led  astray  by  human  folly,  nor  drawn 
by  human  scheming,  he  moved  on  in  his  course  with 
a  firm  and  constant  pace  like  a  star  in  the  heavens.” 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE  LAST  ADDRESS  OF  PIUS  THE  NINTH. 

The  2d  of  February,  1878,  was  for  the  true  subjects 
of  the  holy  father  what  the  17th  of  January,  on 
which  day  Victor  Emmanuel  was  buried,  had  been  for 
the  minions  of  the  invader.  Notwithstanding-  the  cor¬ 
ruption  which  set  in  with  the  storming  of  the  Porta 
Pia,  it  was  plainly  apparent,  on  the  feast  of  Candlemas, 
that  love  towards  Pius  IX.  could  not  be  torn  from 
the  hearts  of  the  true  Romans. 

The  2d  of  February  was  the  seventy-fifth  anni¬ 
versary  of  the  holy  father’s  first  communion. 
Even  at  early  dawn  all  the  churches  of  Rome  were 
crowded  by  the  faithful,  from  the  rank  of  the  poor 
carter  up  to  that  of  the  Roman  patrician,  all  offering 
up  their  holy  communion  for  the  preservation  of 
Pius  IX.  The  Roman  youths  met  at  the  Gesu  (church 
of  the  Jesuits).  Here  his  Eminence  the  Cardinal- 
Vicar,  Monaco  la  Valetta,  distributed  holy  com¬ 
munion  without  interruption  from  early  morning  till 
ten  o’clock.  The  faithful  Romans  returned  from  the 
altar,  their  eyes  glistening  with  tears  of  emotion,  their 
hearts  bounding  with  courage  to  fight  the  battles  of 
God  and  his  Church. 

On  the  same  day  the  holy  father  received  at  the 


22 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


Vatican  the  representatives  of  the  chapters,  the  gen¬ 
erals  of  the  different  orders,  the  pastors  of  Rome,  and 
the  rectors  of  the  ecclesiastical  institutions.  This 
being  the  first  public  audience  since  November, 
many  dignitaries  of  the  Church  from  far  and  near 
were  present,  viz.,  Monsignor  Perraud,  Bishop  of 


CARDINAL  MONACO  LA  VALETTA. 


Autun  in  France,  Mgr.  Elloy,  Vicar  Apostolic  of 
Oceanica,  Mgr.  Clifford,  Bishop  of  Clifton,  England, 
Mgr.  Strain  and  Mgr.  Eyre,  apostolic  delegates  for 
Edinburgh  and  Glasgow,  Mgr.  Sallua,  Commissary 
of  the  Holy  Office,  and  others. 

Towards  one  o’clock,  the  holy  father,  accom¬ 
panied  by  the  court,  was  carried  in  his  chair  to  the 
audience  chamber.  Kindly  receiving  the  blessed 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


23 


candles,  which  according  to  custom  were  presented 
on  that  day,  he  addressed  those  present  in  an  earnest 
and  sonorous  voice  as  follows  : 

“  It  affords  me  unwonted  consolation,  dear  chil¬ 
dren,  to  see  you  on  this  day  assembled  here  about 
me.  I  thank  you  for  the  noble  energy  which  you 
have  ever  manifested  for  the  protection  and  salvation 
of  souls  entrusted  to  your  charge.  I  thank  the  pastors 
who  are  leaving  nothing  undone  to  urge  on  the  faith¬ 
ful  perseverance  in  prayer  and  in  the  frequent  recep¬ 
tion  of  holy  communion. 

“  My  thanks  also  to  all  the  pastors,  both  secular 
and  regular,  for  the  many  prayers  which  by  their 
counsel,  and  under  their  direction,  the  faithful  have 
unceasingly  offered  up  for  me.  I  request  you  to 
thank  in  my  name  all  under  your  care  for  these  kind 
offices.  Thank  them,  and  tell  them  that  I  pray  to 
God  that  he  may  shower  down  upon  them  three 
graces  :  perseverance  in  prayer  and  in  the  reception  of 
the  holy  sacraments,  and  an  unshaken  fidelity  towards 
the  head  of  the  Church.  Tell  them  that  I  remember 
them,  and  beseech  God  to  preserve  them  graciously 
under  the  kindly  hand  of  his  providence.  I  am  not 
ignorant  of  the  fact  that  in  the  different  parishes  there 
are  some  so  ill  instructed  as  not  to  be  acquainted  with 
the  necessary  truths  of  our  holy  religion.  I  know, 
too,  that  there  are  parents  who  have  incurred  fearful 
responsibilities  for  having  brought  up  their  children 
in  religious  ignorance.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  I 
know  that  we  must  go  in  search  of  sinners  to  cor¬ 
rect  them,  and  follow  the  ignorant  to  instruct  them. 

“  Go  then,  seek  out  the  ignorant,  instruct  them 
with  all  fervor,  that  it  may  no  longer  be  said  that  in 
the  centre  of  the  Catholic  world  there  are  souls  un¬ 
acquainted  with  the  principal  mysteries  of  our  holy 


24  A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 

religion.  Exert  all  your  energy  to  take  away  this 
stain  from  Rome  ;  cease  not  until,  by  your  efforts 
and  your  prayers,  souls  be  converted  and  the  truth 
shine  forth  brilliantly  everywhere  in  the  holy  city. 

“‘And  I  trust  that  he  who  hath  begun  a  good 
work  in  you  will  perfect  it  unto  the  day  of  Christ 
Jesus.’  (Philip.  I  :  6.) 

“  This  is  what  I  wish  to  exhort  you  to  on  this  oc¬ 
casion,  my  extreme  weakness  not  allowing  me  to  say 
more. 

“  And  now  I  give  you  all  my  blessing.  I  bless 
you,  your  institutions,  and  all  the  souls  committed 
to  your  care.  May  this  blessing  accompany  you 
through  your  whole  life,  and  be  the  object  of  your 
prayer,  and  the  key-note  of  your  songs  of  praise, 
when  God  will  call  you  away  to  your  heavenly 
country  ! 

“  May  the  blessing  of  Almighty  God,  the  Father, 
the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  descend  upon  you  and 
remain  with  you  forever  !’’ 

This  is  the  last  address  of  Pius  IX.,  not  a  compo¬ 
sition  of  artistic  words  and  high-sounding  phrases, 
but  the  language  of  truth,  which,  as  Cicero  says,  can 
defend  itself. 

This  is  the  last  will  of  Pius  IX.  to  the  society  of 
the  nineteenth  century.  The  dangerous  disease  with 
which  it  is  infected  first  manifested  itself  when  Lu¬ 
ther  unfurled  the  standard  of  rebellion  in  matters  of 
religion.  Its  symptoms  became  more  alarming  at 
the  outbreak  of  the  revolution  in  philosophy,  for 
which  Descartes  gave  the  watchword,  and  came  to  a 
crisis  in  the  social  revolution  of  1789.  For  a  whole 
century  the  symptoms  of  this  disease  have  been  care¬ 
fully  studied.  The  world  outside  of  the  Church  has 
administered  various  remedies,  but  humanity  lies 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


25 


prostrate  as  sick  as  ever.  And  no  change  for  the 
better  will  be  effected  until  the  Church  obtains  the 
free  exercise  of  all  her  powers  and  undisputed  sway 
in  what  belongs  to  religion,  and  until  the  family  is 
again  animated  by  the  spirit  of  a  Christian  training 
in  which  precept  and  practice  are  considered  of  equal 
importance.  These  are  the  means  which  Pius  IX.  in 
his  last  speech  proposed  for  the  regeneration  of  mod¬ 
ern  society,  and  they  are  the  only  efficacious  ones  : 
prayer  for  the  conversion  of  those  who  have  gone 
astray,  diligence  and  ability  for  instructing  and  form¬ 
ing  the  minds  of  the  ignorant,  and  a  practically  Chris¬ 
tian  education  of  youth  given  by  father  and  mother. 

This  is  the  will  of  Pius  IX.  to  all  the  Catholics  on 
the  face  of  the  world.  And  we,  as  faithful  sons  of  the 
great  Pius,  cannot  show  our  fidelity  and  reverence 
better  than  by  earnestly  endeavoring  to  execute  with 
conscientious  exactitude  this  his  last  will.  It  is  need¬ 
less  to  ask  what  good  will  be  obtained  by  it,  and 
when  and  where  the  results  will  show  themselves. 
We  do  not  respect  the  effects  so  much,  nor  do  we 
judge  by  them  alone.  The  standard  for  judging  the 
work  of  a  man  is  the  greatness  and  the  purity  of  his 
intentions,  and  his  conscientiousness  in  the  fulfilment 
of  duty.  Thus  history  has  thrown  open  the  portals 
of  the  hall  of  fame  to  Leonidas,  who  fought  without 
success  in  the  very  shade  made  by  the  Persian  ar¬ 
rows,  and  branded  with  ignominy  the  noble  Ephialtes, 
who  successfully  betrayed  the  Spartans.  Let  us  do 
our  duty,  and  God  will  take  care  of  the  rest.  The  last 
words  ol  Pius  IX.  were  :  “I  place  my  trust  not  in 
men  nor  in  princes,  nor  in  fleets  nor  in  armies,  but 
in  Him  who,  when  he  has  begun  the  work,  knows 
how  to  perfect  it.” 

In  Pius  IX.  we  have  lost  a  great  pilot,  but  the 


2  6 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


helm  of  the  bark  of  Peter  is  still  steady.  Another  has 
taken  it,  and  will  direct  it  with  a  strong  arm  to  the 
day  of  Jesus  Christ,  when  a  just  Judge  will  take  away 
the  diadem  from  the  brow  of  him  who  was  successful 
on  earth,  to  adorn  him  who,  though  he  met  with  no 
success,  stood  up  for  the  cause  of  right  and  truth. 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE  FINAL  SICKNESS. 

The  words  of  our  blessed  Redeemer  were  to  be 
applied  to  his  representative  upon  earth  :  “Ye  know 
not  the  day  nor  the  hour.’’  Pius  IX.  was  always 
ready  for  death  ;  his  life,  so  pure,  so  holy,  was  one 
unbroken  preparation  for  death. 

But  to  the  faithful,  to  his  children,  the  death  of 
Pius  IX.  came  like  a  flash  of  lightning  from  the  clear 
sky,  like  a  thief  in  the  night.  They  had  a  well- 
founded  hope  that  the  holy  father  would  be  pre¬ 
served  to  the  Church  and  her  love  for  at  least  one 
more  year.  For  he  had  safely  passed  through  the 
winter,  and  revigorating  spring  had  already  set  in. 

When  in  the  spring  of  the  previous  year  pilgrims 
from  all  parts  of  the  globe  went  to  Rome,  spending 
many  instructive  and  at  once  pleasant  evenings  in  the 
Palazzo  Altemps,  seeing  the  holy  father  in  the  Sala 
Ducale  or  in  the  Hall  of  the  Consistory,  hearing  his 
strong  and  sonorous  voice,  and  receiving  his  blessing 
- — no  one  suspected  that  they  were  the  last  great 
band  of  pilgrims  whom  Pius  IX.  was  to  bless.  No 
sooner  had  the  pious  travellers  returned  to  their 
homes  than  a  strong  desire  awakened  within  them  to 
return  once  more  to  the  gray-haired  pontiff,  and  to 


28 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


give  public  testimony  of  their  love  for  him  to  the 
whole  world. 

But  Divine  Providence,  whose  ways  are  not  the 
ways  of  men,  had  determined  otherwise.  Even  at 
the  time  when  the  holy  father  gave  those  imposing 
audiences  his  feet  refused  to  render  service,  although 
in  other  respects  he  was  in  excellent  health.  This 
condition  continued  during  the  great  heat  of  summer, 
which  always  had  a  wholesome  effect  upon  him.  Froin 
the  end  of  November  till  Christmas  he  lost  in  bodily 
strength,  while  his  mental  faculties  continued  in  full 
vigor  despite  the  burden  of  old  age. 

At  the  opening  of  the  new  year,  the  health  of  the 
holy  father  seemed  to  undergo  a  change  for  the 
better.  To  the  joy  of  all  who  had  the  good  fortune 
to  see  him,  his  vital  power  seemed  to  increase  day  by 
day.  The  wound,  which  in  the  beginning  of  his  sick¬ 
ness  had  closed,  now  assumed  its  unalarming  aspect, 
and  his  health  was  wholly  satisfactory.  He  rose 
from  his  bed,  to  which  he  had  been  confined  for  many 
weeks.  To  go  to  his  private  library  he  no  longer 
made  use  of  his  movable  bed  which  had  been 
sent  to  him  as  a  Christmas  present  by  a  lady  of 
Paris,  through  Cardinal  de  Falloux,  but  of  the  sedan- 
chair  in  which,  a  summer  before,  he  allowed  himself 
to  be  carried  into  the  Loggia  of  the  court  of  St. 
Damaso,  or  into  the  Hall  of  the  Consistory,  to  give 
audience  to  the  faithful  Romans  and  to  the  pilgrims 
from  far  and  near. 

It  was  about  the  middle  of  January  when  a 
Roman  paper,  edited  by  a  Jew,  published  the  sensa¬ 
tional  report  that  the  Pope  had  died.  This  paper, 
which  the  holy  father  usually  read,  came  within  his 
reach.  He  read  the  notice  of  his  own  death,  smiled, 
and  said,  “  If  that  had  been  written  about  my  feet,  it 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  ITUS  IX. 


29 


would  not  be  altogether  wrong  ;  but  of  my  head  it  can¬ 
not  as  yet  be  said.” 

The  famous  Professor  Ceccarelli,  the  Pope’s  phy¬ 
sician  in  ordinary,  had  hopes  even  of  gradually  curing 
the  trouble  in  his  feet.  And  truly  the  realization  of 
these  hopes  seemed  to  draw  nearer  when  on  Candle¬ 
mas-day  the  holy  father  was  able  to  give  audience, 
and  when  on  the  3d  of  February  he  succeeded,  with 
the  support  of  two  domestic  prelates,  in  taking  a  few 
steps.  Great  was  the  astonishment  of  the  bystanders, 
and  greater  still  their  joy  at  the  happy  result  of  the 
attempt  ;  for  many  of  them  had  abandoned  all  hope 
of  his  ever  again  obtaining  the  use  of  his  feet.  The 
holy  father,*  too,  was  overjoyed  at  this  unlooked-for 
result.  “  And  now,”  he  said,  raising  his  eyes  to 
heaven,  “  now  I  pray  God  for  one  thing  more  :  that 
in  his  infinite  generosity  he  would  grant  me  strength 
enough  to  fall  down  on  my  knees  to  thank  him.” 

On  the  same  day  he  received  in  his  private  li¬ 
brary,  adjoining  his  sitting-room,  some  few  represen¬ 
tatives,  several  cardinals  and  prelates.  The  same 
happened  on  Monday  and  Tuesday,  when  many  per¬ 
sons  of  high  rank  congratulated  him  on  his  recovery. 
On  Wednesday,  too,  he  continued  to  give  audiences, 
although  the  first  symptoms  of  a  relapse  began  to 
show  themselves.  On  Wednesday  evening  he  took  a 
frugal  supper  as  usual,  and,  according  to  his  physi¬ 
cian’s  advice,  he  went  to  his  night’s  rest  at  an  hour 
somewhat  earlier  than  he  had  been  accustomed  to 
when  he  enjoyed  good  health. 

The  room  in  which  Pius  IX.  exchanged  the  tem¬ 
poral  for  the  eternal  is  the  one  in  which  he  had  lived 
since  1870.  It  is  small  and  of  rectangular  form. 
Everything  in  it  is  most  simple.  The  tapestry  and 
carpets,  as  also  the  furniture,  show  anything  but  luxury 


30 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


and  splendor.  Near  the  wall  stand  two  beds,  which 
the  holy  father  used  alternately.  In  the  middle  of 
the  room  is  a  writing-table  of  dark  wood,  which  has 
much  the  appearance  of  a  piano.  On  it  lay  a  few  ob¬ 
jects  of  devotion.  On  the  wall  near  the  bed  are 
hung  two  little  oil-paintings,  one  of  them  representing 
St.  Joseph,  the  other  a  madonna,  which  he  had 
brought  with  him  from  his  native  city,  Sinigaglia, 
and  to  which  he  had  a  special  devotion. 

At  ten  o’clock  in  the  evening,  Professor  Cecca- 
relli,  to  whom  the  precious  health  of  the  holy  father 
was  entrusted,  paid  him  a  visit.  He  found  nothing 
in  the  pontiff’s  condition  that  might  cause  anxiety. 
His  pulse,  however,  was  somewhat  slower  and 
more  feeble  ;  but  to  this  he  attached  no  importance. 
The  Pope,  it  is  true,  was  a  little  exhausted,  but,  as 
ever,  he  received  and  dismissed  his  physician  in  a 
cheerful  manner.  After  a  few  hours  of  restless  sleep 
he  awoke  with  a  fever.  He  called  his  chamberlain, 
who  slept  in  an  adjoining  apartment,  and  complained 
of  a  heavy  pressure  on  the  chest  and  of  great  ex¬ 
haustion.  The  attendant  sent  in  haste  for  Doctor 
Ceccarelli,  who  came  and  found  the  holy  father  in  a 
chill  and  in  danger  of  a  stroke  of  apoplexy.  His 
Holiness  could  speak  but  with  great  effort ;  the  beating 
of  his  pulse  was  faint  and  so  rapid  that  it  could 
hardly  be  counted  ;  the  breathing  was  laborious. 
The  wound  on  his  foot  had  healed  up.  The  few 
words  which  the  Pope  uttered  showed  that  he  had 
fallen  into  a  slight  delirium. 

A  few  moments  later,  the  doctors  Valentini  and 
Antonini  and  a  few  domestic  prelates  of  his  Holiness 
made  their  appearance  in  the  sleeping-apartment. 
Gradually  the  Pope  came  again  to  the  full  use  of  his 
senses  ;  he  cast  a  glance  about  him,  recognized  the 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


31 


prelates,  and  attempted  to  say  something,  but  the 
asthma  rendered  his  effort  vain.  At  two  o’clock  the 
fever  increased  ;  the  Pope  fell  into  a  gentle  slumber, 
which  seemed  to  strengthen  him  somewhat.  Many 
of  the  courtiers  knelt  at  his  bedside,  sending  fervent 
prayers  to  God  to  preserve  their  beloved  father. 

At  three  o’clock  they  brought  to  the  sick  pontiff 
a  little  refreshment,  which  for  some  time  seemed  to 
give  him  new  life.  Two  hours  later  critical  symptoms 
manifested  themselves  ;  the  pulsation  became  rapid 
and  the  breathing  laborious,  to  the  grief  and  alarm  oi 
those  who  were  present. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


THE  LAST  HOURS  OF  PIUS  THE  NINTH. 

On  the  morning  of  the  7th  of  February,  when  the 
sun  lit  up  the  sick-room  of  the  holy  father,  the  silver- 
haired  sufferer  knew  that  on  the  next  day  not  the 
sun  of  time  but  that  of  eternity  would  rise  for  him. 

At  half-past  six  o’clock  a  violent  fever  again  seized 
him,  lasting  but  for  a  short  time,  and  not  as  long  as 
on  the  previous  occasion.  The  lethargy  into  which 
he  had  fallen  during  the  last  hours  of  the  night  had 
entirely  disappeared  and  given  place  to  a  full  con¬ 
sciousness.  The  pulse  was  rapid  and  faint  ;  the  bron¬ 
chial  tubes  were  impeded  ;  his  condition  became  at 
every  moment  more  critical. 

Those  who  knelt  at  his  bedside  prayed  with  sobs 
and  tears,  and  clung  to  the  last  ray  of  hope  ;  their 
hearts  so  devotedly  attached  to  Pius  IX.  could  not 
harbor  the  thought  of  the  possibility  of  losing  him. 

The  holy  father,  however,  to  whom,  together  with 
a  clear  consciousness,  was  given  the  use  of  his  speech, 
felt  that  his  last  day  had  dawned,  and  that  when  night 
would  come  over  the  Eternal  City  he  would  be  able 
to  say  with  the  Apostle  of  nations,  “  I  have  finished 
my  career.”  This  he  clearly  expressed  in  a  manner 
free  from  all  ambiguity.  When  Cardinal  de  Fa'loux 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


33 


inquired  about  the  state  of  his  health,  and  endeav¬ 
ored  to  inspire  him  with  hopes  of  recovery,  the 
sufferer  replied  :  “  Questa  volta  bisogna  andarsene” 
(This  time  I  must  go). 

He  asked  at  once  for  his  confessor,  Monsignor 
Marinelli,  pastor  of  the  papal  palace,  made  his  con¬ 
fession,  and  requested  that  the  sacraments  for  the 
dying  should  be  administered  to  him.  At  half-past 
eight  o’clock  Mgr.  Marinelli  brought  him  the  Holy 
Viaticum.  What  an  auspicious  moment  !  The  dying 
saint  once  more  gathered  all  his  strength,  raised 
himself  up  as  he  was  wont  during  his  former  sick¬ 
ness,  said  the  usual  prayers  himself,  and  received  the 
Body  of  our  Lord  with  such  devotion  and  such  fervor 
that  he  seemed  more  an  angel  than  a  man.  The  in¬ 
visible  and  the  visible  heads  of  the  Church  for  the 
last  time  embraced  one  another  here  below. 

He  fell  back  on  his  pillow  ;  a  sweet  seraphic  smile 
played  about  his  lips,  a  celestial  brightness  lit  up  his 
countenance.  He  prayed  ;  prayed  for  himself  and  for 
his  Church  :  for  himself  for  strength  and  vigor  against 
the  powers  of  darkness,  that  in  the  last  moments  he 
might  not  succumb  to  those  against  whom  he  had 
stood  like  a  hero  during  his  whole  life  ;  for  his 
Church  that  she  might  be  firm  in  her  trials,  and  that 
she  might  be  enabled  to  serve  God  in  peace  and  lib¬ 
erty. 

At  nine  o’clock  Mgr.  Marinelli  administered  to 
him  Extreme  Unction.  The  holy  father  had  the 
full  use  of  his  senses.  The  beating  of  his  pulse  now 
became  weaker  at  every  moment,  and  at  eleven 
o’clock  it  was  no  longer  noticeable  in  the  right  arm. 

Meanwhile  the  Cardinal- Vicar,  Monaco  la  Val- 
etta,  had  given  orders  to  all  the  parish  churches  in 
Rome  to  expose  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and  to  offer 


34 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


up  prayers  for  the  preservation  of  the  beloved  head 
of  the  Church. 

All  Rome  repaired  to  the  churches  and  to  the 
Vatican.  But  God  left  the  prayers  unheard  ;  for 
in  the  decrees  of  infinite  wisdom,  the  life  of  Pius  IX. 
had  come  to  a  close.  The  silver-haired  Pius  was  ripe 
for  the  harvest,  for  the  crown  of  the  confessor  and 
the  palm  of  the  martyr. 

His  last  lingering  hours  upon  earth  were  wholly 
absorbed  in  God.  He  uttered  but  few  words,  and 
not  without  great  pain,  pausing  frequently.  They 
formed  his  last  religious  exercises,  so  highly  edifying 
not  only  on  account  of  the  great  exertion  with  which 
they  were  spoken,  but  especially  because  of  the  great 
and  unshaken  confidence  in  God  by  which  they 
were  dictated.  He  to  whom  it  was  given  to  hear  his 
last  words  could  but  take  them  as  flames  ascending 
from  the  heart  of  a  saint — all  resignation,  all  pa¬ 
tience,  all  deeply-rooted  piety,  to  the  very  last. 

The  last  hour  was  at  hand.  The  remedies  which 
had  been  administered  to  rouse  nature  had  but  mo¬ 
mentary  effects  ;  the  skill  of  the  physicians  could  no 
longer  stay  the  disease  in  its  course.  A  paralysis  of 
the  lungs  now  threatened  the  life  of  the  august 
sufferer.  Towards  eleven  o’clock,  the  pulse  in  the 
left  hand  died  away  ;  the  hands  and  feet  turned  cold. 
At  half-past  eleven  he  cast  a  long  and  loving 
glance  at  those  kneeling  in  the  apartment,  as  if  he 
would  bid  them  a  last  farewell.  Then  he  took  his 
crucifix  from  under  his  pillow,  blessed  all,  and  hold¬ 
ing  the  image  of  the  Saviour  in  his  hand,  he  sank 
back. 


CHAPTER  V. 


DEATH  OF  PIUS  THE  NINTH. 

About  twelve  o’clock,  the  medical  attendants  of 
his  Holiness  declared  that  his  breathing  had  become 
abnormal.  The  hands  were  swollen  with  blood,  and 
his  feet  were  cold  and  motionless.  The  eventful 
moment  which  like  a  double-edged  sword  pierced  the 
hearts  of  nearly  three  hundred  millions  of  Catholics 
was  rapidly  approaching.  His  Eminence  Cardinal 
Bilio,  who  in  his  capacity  of  Grand  Penitentiary  of  St. 
Peter’s  had  the  privilege  of  reciting  the  prayers  over 
the  dying  pontiff,  began  the  recommendation  of  the 
noble  soul  of  Pius  into  the  hands  of  its  Creator.  The 
holy  father,  whose  strength  was  fast  ebbing  away, 
answered,  and  with  difficulty  succeeded  in  repeating 
distinctly  the  words,  “  Col  vestro  santo  ajuto”  (With 
thy  holy  help),  which  occur  in  the  act  of  contrition. 

Whilst  Cardinal  Bilio  interrupted  for  a  moment 
the  recitation  of  the  prayers,  the  holy  father  said, 
with  an  expression  in  which  the  whole  of  his  great 
soul  seemed  to  be  concentrated  :  “  In  domum  Domini 
ibimus”  (We  shall  go  into  the  house  of  the  Lord), 
which  was  verified  a  few  moments  later. 

The  Grand  Penitentiary  then  continued,  amid  the 
loud  sobs  and  weeping  of  the  bystanders,  the  touching 


36 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


prayers  of  the  Church.  When  he  came  to  the  prayer 
which  begins  with  the  words  “  Proficiscere,  anima 
Christiana”  (Depart,  Christian  soul),  he  paused  and 
cast  an  inquiring  look  towards  the  holy  father,  who 
then  spoke  for  the  last  time  and  said,  “  Si,  proficis- 


CARDINAL  BILIO. 


cere”  (Yes,  depart),  by  which  he  wished  to  indicate 
his  desire  of  having  also  this  last  prayer  recited  over 
him.  The  cardinal  then  pronounced,  in  a  voice  which 
plainly  betrayed  the  deep  emotion  of  his  heart,  the 
”  Proficiscere,”  by  means  of  which  the  Church  de¬ 
livers  into  the  merciful  hands  of  God  the  soul  stand¬ 
ing  on  the  brink  of  eternity,  and  which  is  at  the  same 
time  a  recommendation  of  the  Church  militant  to  the 
Church  triumphant.  The  solemnity  and  impressive¬ 
ness  of  this  moment  beggars  all  description.  The 


THE  SCALA  SANTA J  OR,  SACRED  STAIRS, 


Page  37' 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


39 


angels  themselves,  were  they  to  attempt  it,  could  but 
say  in  angelic  accents,  “  Pius  IX.  is  dying.”  It  was 
now  three  o’clock  in  the  afternoon.  Cardinal  Bilio  and 
Mgr.  Marinelli  remained  constantly  at  the  bedside  of 
the  holy  father,  suggesting  pious  ejaculatory  prayers. 
Once  more  he  lifted  his  consecrated  hands  in  bene¬ 
diction  over  the  bystanders.  It  was  the  last  blessing 
of  Pius  IX. 

About  four  o’clock  the  agony  began  ;  a  thick 
clammy  perspiration  covered  the  brow  of  his  Holiness, 
and  a  rapidly  increasing  rattle  announced  in  unmis¬ 
takable  language  that  the  end  was  near  at  hand.  The 
death-chamber  now  presented  a  most  harrowing 
spectacle. 

At  five  o’clock  the  attending  physician,  Professor 
Ceccarelli,  called  upon  Cardinal  Bilio  to  recite  once 
more  the  prayer  “  Proficiscere”  over  the  dying 
pontiff.  Pius  IX.  was  expiring.  A  few  moments 
after  the  recitation  of  this  prayer,  the  Grand  Peniten¬ 
tiary  began  to  recite  on  bended  knees  the  sorrowful 
mysteries  of  the  rosary,  to  which  the  attendants 
answered  with  sobs  and  weeping.  The  eyes  of  the 
holy  father,  which  can  never  be  forgotten  by  those 
whose  happiness  it  has  been  to  behold  them,  on 
account  of  the  indescribable  mildness  which  beamed 
from  them,  were  raised  towards  heaven,  and  re¬ 
mained  fixed  as  if  in  ecstasy  till  the  shadows  of  death 
clouded  their  earthly  vision  forever. 

When  they  had  reached  the  fourth  mystery,  the 
rattle  ceased,  and  the  last  clear  pearly  tear  appeared 
in  the  eye  of  the  venerable  father.  Pius  IX.  had  run 
his  course  ;  he  had  finished  the  battle,  and  exchanged 
this  vale  of  tears  for  the  happy  abode  of  the  heavenly 
Jerusalem.  It  was  5.40  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  Ave 
Maria  rang  in  silvery  peals  from  the  dome  of  St. 


40 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


Peter’s.  Whilst  the  faithful  on  earth  saluted  at  the  close 
of  day  the  virgin  spouse  of  the  Idoly  Spirit,  the  angels 
in  heaven  imprinted  upon  the  brow  of  the  great 
Pius  the  kiss  of  glad  welcome.  After  a  struggle 
of  more  than  half  a  century,  he  departed  this  life 
like  the  sun  which  just  then  greeted  the  cross  of  St. 
Peter’s  with  his  last  golden  beams.  He  disappeared 
from  the  sight  of  men  with  that  serenity  of  soul,  that 
peace  and  amiability,  characteristic  of  favored  souls, 
in  full  consciousness  of  the  important  step  he  was 
about  to  take,  and  with  a  heart  full  of  the  love  of 
God,  and  as  resigned  as  if  there  were  but  a  step  be¬ 
tween  heaven  and  earth. 

Pius  IX.  was  no  more.  But  his  death  could  not 
be  realized  by  those  who  had  seen  him  dying.  All 
seemed  like  a  dream.  When,  however,  Cardinal 
Bilio,  in  low  and  mournful  accents,  intoned  the 
“  Requiem  seternam  dona  ei  Domine,”  etc.,  the  whole 
weight  of  grief  which  till  then  had  almost  crushed 
the  hearts  of  the  bystanders  was  made  manifest  in 
all  its  intensity.  The  more  fondly  they  had  clung  to 
hope,  the  more  bitter  proved  their  disappointment. 
They  covered  their  faces  with  their  hands  and  wept 
bitterly.  In  the  antechamber  of  the  papal  palace  the 
representatives  of  the  foreign  powers  accredited  to 
the  Holy  See,  many  prelates  and  the  foremost  of  the 
Roman  nobility,  and  others  who  had  access  to  the 
papal  court,  had  gradually  gathered.  Here  knelt, 
side  by  side,  ambassadors  and  servants,  cardinals  and 
simple  citizens,  Roman  princes  and  Scopatori  Secreti, 
without  distinction  of  rank  or  title.  Love  and  sor¬ 
row  ignore  ceremonies  ;  they  are  the  language  of  the 
heart.  Mgr.  Clifford,  Bishop  of  Clifton  in  England, 
recited  the  rosary,  to  which  the  bystanders  answered 
with  deep  emotion.  The  door  which  led  to  the 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


41 


private  chamber  of  the  holy  father  now  opened.  A 
private  chamberlain  of  his  Holiness  stepped  forward 
and  breathed  with  faltering  voice  over  the  assembled 
multitude  the  words,  “  II  papa  b  morto”  (The 
Pope  is  dead). 

This  announcement  had  an  effect  similar  to  a 
spark  of  fire  cast  into  a  mine.  The  tears  hoarded  up 


CARDINAL  AMAT. 


during  many  a  long  hour  now  burst  forth  with  the 
impetuosity  of  a  torrent  ;  none  could  resist  them. 
Some  sprang  to  their  feet  and  ran  hither  and  thither 
as  if  their  hearts  would  break  ;  others  remained  stand¬ 
ing  as  if  petrified,  while  others  again  rushed  into  the 
death-chamber  in  order  to  cover  the  cold  hands  of 
the  hoi}"  father  with  kisses. 

Pius  had  ceased  to  live.  The  ambassadors  left 


42 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


the  Vatican  ;  the  Camerlengo,  Cardinal  Pecci,  Bishop 
of  Perugia,  entered  upon  his  office  of  temporal  ruler 
during  the  vacancy,  while  the  oldest  of  the  cardinal- 
bishops,  Amat,  the  oldest  cardinal-priest,  Schwarzen- 
berg  (in  his  absence,  Asquini),  and  the  oldest  cardi¬ 
nal-deacon,  Caterini,  divided  among  themselves  the 
spiritual  government  of  the  Church. 

The  announcement  of  the  Pope’s  death  was  com¬ 
municated  to  all  foreign  cardinals  and  nuncios,  as 
also  to  his  relatives,  by  telegraph  from  the  office  of 
the  Vatican.  His  Eminence  the  Cardinal- Vicar 
ordered  that  the  exposition  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament, 
before  which  the  faithful  of  Rome  were  still  kneeling 
in  supplication,  should  cease. 

At  s-ix  o’clock,  the  physicians  who  had  had 
the  privilege  of  assisting  the  holy  father  during  his 
sickness  approached  the  bed  of  the  dead  pontiff,  and 
testified  to  his  decease  by  the  following  document  : 

“  We,  the  undersigned,  certify  that  his  Holiness, 
our  holy  father,  Pope  Pius  IX.,  for  a  long  time 
affected  with  a  lingering  bronchitis,  died  of  pul¬ 
monary  paralysis  this  7th  day  of  February,  1878, 
at  5.40  P.M. 

“  Doctor  Antonini,  Physician. 

Ceccarelli,  Surgeon. 

Petacci,  Assistant. 

Topai,  Assistant.” 

A  few  moments  later,  the  body  of  the  deceased 
pontiff  was  conveyed  to  a  larger  apartment  that  had 
a  northern  exposure,  where  it  was  given  in  charge 
of  the  Noble  Guards.  Meanwhile  the  penitentiaries 
of  St.  Peter’s  chanted  the  office  of  the  dead  in  the  ad¬ 
joining  rooms. 

On  the  same  evening  the  Cardinal-Vicar  an- 


THE  THRONE  HALL. 


Pape  43. 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


45 


nounced  the  death  of  Pius  IX.  in  the  following  cir¬ 
cular  : 

To  the  Clergy  and  People  of  Rome  : 

“  Raphael,  of  the  title  of  Santa  Croce  in  Gerusa- 
lemme,  Cardinal- Priest  of  the  Holy  Roman  Church, 
Monaco  la  Valetta,  Vicar-General,  Judge  Ordinary 
of  Rome  and  its  district,  and  Abbot  Commendatory  of 
Subiaco.  The  majesty  of  the  omnipotent  God  has 
recalled  to  himself  the  sovereign  pontiff  Pius  IX.,  of 
blessed  memory,  according  to  the  sad  news  just  im¬ 
parted  to  us  by  the  most  eminent  Camerlengo  of  the 
Holy  Roman  Church,  to  whom  it  belongs  to  make 
known  to  the  public  the  death  of  the  Roman  pontiffs. 
At  such  an  announcement,  the  Catholic  people  in  every 
part  of  the  world,  devoted  to  the  great  and  apostolic 
virtues  of  the  immortal  pontiff  and  his  sovereign 
magnanimity,  will  weep.  But,  above  all,  are  we 
most  supremely  sorrowful  ;  we,  O  Romans  !  since  to¬ 
day  has  unhappily  terminated  the  most  extraordinary 
and  glorious  pontificate  which  God  has  ever  conceded 
to  his  vicars  upon  earth. 

“  His  life  as  pontiff  and  as  sovereign  was  a  series 
of  widespread  benefits  as  well  in  the  spiritual  as  in 
the  temporal  order,  diffused  over  all  the  churches 
and  nations,  and  in  a  most  particular  manner  upon 
his  Rome,  where  at  every  step  monuments  of  the 
munificence  of  the  lamented  pontiff  and  father  are 
met  with. 

“  In  accordance  with  the  sacred  canons,  in  all  the 
cities  and  important  places  solemn  obsequies  and 
suffrages  for  the  soul  of  the  departed  pontiff  should 
be  made  until  the  Holy  Apostolic  See  be  provided 
with  a  new  head,  and  prayers  should  be  made  to  the 
Divine  Majesty  for  the  speedy  election  of  a  successor 


4  6 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


to  the  deceased,  whom  we  can  never  sufficiently 
lament. 

“  For  this  purpose — 

“  (i)  It  is  made  known  that  the  public  and  solemn 
funeral  will  be  celebrated  by  the  canons  of  the  Patri¬ 
archal  Basilica  of  the  Vatican,  to  which  the  body  of 
the  immortal  pontiff  will  be  brought  and  placed,  as  is 
customary,  in  the  Chapel  of  the  Most  Holy  Sacra¬ 
ment. 

“  (2)  It  is  ordered  that  in  all  the  churches  of  this 
holy  city,  the  clergy,  secular  as  well  as  regular, 
whatever  be  their  privileges,  shall  toll  all  the  bells  for 
the  space  of  one  hour,  from  three  to  four  in  the  after¬ 
noon  of  to-morrow  (Friday). 

“  (3)  As  soon  as  the  precious  remains  of  the  sov¬ 
ereign  pontiff  are  brought  into  the  Vatican  basilica, 
the  solemn  obsequies  will  be  celebrated  in  all  the 
churches  already  mentioned. 

“  (4)  The  reverend  clergy,  secular  as  well  as  regu¬ 
lar,  are  exhorted  to  offer  the  unbloody  sacrifice  in 
suffrage  for  the  soul  of  the  august  departed,  and  the 
religious  communities  of  both  sexes,  as  well  as  the 
faithful,  are  invited  to  recommend  his  blessed  soul  in 
their  prayers. 

“(5)  Finally,  it  is  prescribed  that  in  each  of  the 
churches  mentioned,  in  the  mass  and  other  functions, 
there  be  added  the  collect  Pro  Pontifice  eligendo  as 
long  as  the  vacancy  of  the  Apostolic  See  shall  con¬ 
tinue. 

“  Given  from  our  residence,  the  7th  of  February, 
1878. 

“  R.  Card.  Monaco,  Vicar. 

Placido  Can.  Petacci,  Secretary.  ’’ 


CHAPTER  VI 


THE  TESTIMONY  OF  ROME. 

When  on  September  20th,  1870,  the  Bersaglieri 
had  entered  Rome  through  the  breach  of  the  Porta 
Pia  ;  when  Rome,  after  a  short  but  heroic  resistance, 
had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  revolutionists  ;  when 
the  Pope,  robbed  of  his  estate,  sat  a  prisoner  in 
the  Vatican — the  enemies  of  the  Church  rejoiced  and 
hoped  that  the  Roman  people  would  in  a  short  time 
forget  their  lawful  sovereign,  and  would  hail  as  their 
deliverer  him  to  whom  the  irony  of  fate  had  given 
the  surname  of  the  man  of  honor,  or  “  the  gentleman- 
king.” 

That  the  boasting  of  these  infidels  proved  futile 
is  proved  by  the  late  events  in  Rome  with  such  evi¬ 
dence  of  facts  as  madness  and  total  blindness  alone 
could  deny.  Such  is  the  power  of  great  events  that 
by  their  means  the  thoughts,  sentiments,  and  secrets 
of  the  heart,  which  otherwise  would  not  have  as¬ 
sumed  a  visible  and  tangible  form,  become  mani¬ 
fest  to  the  eyes  of  all.  This  power  the  death  of  the 
great  pontiff  Pius  IX.  exercised  over  the  hearts  of 
the  Roman  people.  When  we  speak  here  of  the 
Roman  people,  we  mean  those  of  ”  royal  ”  Rome 
in  opposition  to  ”  legal”  Rome,  which  emigrated 


48 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


from  Upper  Italy,  Sicily,  and  Naples,  and  tarries  in 
the  city  of  the  seven  hills,  but  through  whose  veins 
no  Roman  blood  courses. 

The  sword  of  sorrow  which  pierced  the  heart 
of  the  Roman  people  at  the  death  of  Pius  IX.  has  re¬ 
vealed  the  innermost  secrets  of  their  hearts.  When 
on  the  morning  of  February  7th,  at  about  ten  o’clock, 
the  bells  of  Rome  rang  for  the  exposition  of  the 
Blessed  Sacrament,  anxious  inquiries  were  made  by 
every  one  as  to  its  significance.  The  faithful  entered 
the  churches  and  saw  the  Blessed  Sacrament  covered 
with  a  veil,  as  is  prescribed  when  devotions  for  the 
dying  are  taking  place.  Who  could  this  dying  per¬ 
son  be  ? 

Like  wildfire  the  news  of  the  dangerous  condi¬ 
tion  of  the  holy  father  spread  from  St.  Peter’s  to  the 
Porta  Pia,  and  from  the  Piazza  del  Popolo  to  the 
Lateran.  But  as  the  Roman  people,  even  more  than 
those  of  other  countries,  had  been  so  frequently 
alarmed  by  false  reports  of  death,  the  news  at  first 
found  but  few  believers.  When,  however,  the 
rumor  was  confirmed  by  the  announcement  of  the 
pastors,  who  had  been  ordered  by  the  Cardinal- Vicar 
to  hold  these  devotions,  every  one  flocked  to  the 
church  in  order  to  beseech  the  Lord  to  prolong  the 
precious  life  of  the  holy  father.  Scarcely  an  hour 
had  elapsed,  before  the  churches  were  crowded  to 
excess  with  weeping  and  sobbing  people. 

Others,  however,  could  find  no  rest  at  the 
thought  that  the  life  of  the  holy  father  was  seriously 
endangered.  They  left  their  work  and  hurried 
towards  St.  Peter’s,  where,  alas  !  the  sad  news  was 
but  too  soon  confirmed.  The  Roman  nobility,  who 
during  the  Piedmontese  government  had  manifested 
a  loyalty  towards  their  legitimate  sovereign,  the  holy 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


49 


father,  which  entitles  them  to  the  gratitude  of  the 
whole  Christian  world,  now  hurried  towards  the 
Vatican  in  order  to  obtain  more  definite  information 
with  regard  to  the  condition  of  the  holy  father,  and 
to  convey  to  his  Holiness  the  expression  of  their  heart¬ 
felt  sympathy.  The  number  of  princely  carriages 
wending  their  way  towards  St.  Peter’s  was  so  great 
that  the  passage  across  the  bridge  leading  to  the  cas¬ 
tle  of  St.  Angelo  was  for  a  time  impeded.  The  mul¬ 
titude  in  the  church  of  St.  Peter’s  and  in  front  of  the 
gate  which  leads  by  the  colonnade  of  Bernini  into  the 
Vatican  increased  momentarily.  Every  one  who 
came  out  through  this  gate  was  detained  and  over¬ 
whelmed  with  questions  concerning  the  condition  of 
the  holy  father.  The  Swiss  Guard  had  closed  the 
larger  gates  and  permitted  the  smaller  ones  only  to 
remain  open,  in  order  to  avoid  all  disturbance  in  the 
crowd.  One  of  the  highest  officers  of  the  guard  was 
constantly  present  to  give  the  necessary  commands. 
All  who  belonged  to  the  papal  palace  were  allowed 
to  enter  ;  to  all  others  admittance  was  strictly  re¬ 
fused.  Whoever  had  reached  the  antechamber  of 
the  papal  palace  was  unable  to  leave  the  Vatican 
until  the  death  of  the  holy  father  had  taken  place. 

As  early  as  three  o’clock  the  Secretary  of  the 
Italian  Cabinet,  Della  Rocca,  informed  the  ministers 
that  the  Pope  had  died  at  2.30,  and  the  “  Agen- 
zia  Stefani,”  which  claims  to  receive  its  information 
always  from  the  most  reliable  sources,  was  guilty  of 
the  unqualified  silliness  or  wickedness  of  announcing 
the-  death  of  his  Holiness  to  the  world  three  hours 
before  it  had  taken  place. 

But  the  Roman  people  did  not  credit  any  of  these 
reports.  They  went  by  thousands  to  St.  Peter’s, 
and  would  not  believe  the  sad  news  until  they  had 


5o 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


heard  it  from  one  who  came  out  of  the  Vatican, 
so  strong-  was  their  attachment  to  Pius  IX. 

The  news  of  the  death  of  the  beloved  pontiff 
spread  during  the  same  evening  throughout  the 
greater  part  of  the  city,  and  was  everywhere  re¬ 
ceived  by  the  populace  with  the  same  manifestation 
of  sincere  sorrow  and  sympathy.  The  theatres,  which 
during  the  carnivals  are  constantly  filled,  were  now 
empty  and  deserted.  The  mourning  was  universal. 

As  soon  as  the  morning  of  the  8th  February 
dawned,  small  groups  might  be  seen  in  front  of  every 
church.  What  were  they  doing  ?  They  read  the 
official  announcement  of  the  death  of  Pius  IX.  by  the 
Cardinal- Vicar  Monaco.  We  have  already  given 
the  text  of  this  document.  Rome  gave  on  this  day — 
we  refer  to  it  with  pride  and  joy — a  most  brilliant 
testimony  in  favor  of  Pius  IX.,  a  testimony  the  more 
valuable  as  it  was  a  spontaneous  outpouring  of  its 
heart,  not  urged  by  any  worldly  consideration. 
During  the  whole  of  February  8th,  and  also  during 
part  of  the  following  day,  all  the  stores  and  shops  of 
the  city  remained  closed,  and  this  without  any  order 
from  the  police,  as  had  been  the  case  at  the  death  of 
Victor  Emmanuel.  The  signs  of  mourning  were 
visible  in  all  the  great  streets  of  Rome  ;  even  the 
Jews  in  Ghetto  would  not  allow  themselves  to  be  out¬ 
done  in  their  manifestation  of  attachment  to  his  Holi¬ 
ness.  Their  doors  remained  closed  during  two  whole 
days. 

Even  the  royal  court  in  the  Quirinal  interested  it¬ 
self  in  the  condition  of  the  holy  father.  King  Humbert 
I.  as  well  as  Queen  Pia  of  Portugal,  who  had  come  to 
Rome  to  assist  at  the  obsequies  of  her  father,  Victor 
Emmanuel,  sent  their  attendants  to  the  Vatican  to  in¬ 
quire  about  the  health  of  the  holy  father. 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


51 


The  king’,  as  soon  as  he  had  learned  the  death  of 
his  Holiness,  broke  off  a  soiree  with  the  ambassador  of 
Austria. 

The  conduct  of  the  government,  on  the  other 
hand,  though  not  positively  hostile,  was  indifferent  in 
the  highest  degree.  It  did  nothing  but  what  it  was 
obliged  to  do  by  the  laws  of  the  guarantees,  and  this 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  render  evident  the  baseness  of 
its  sentiments.  It  did  not  close  the  theatres  until 
the  evening  of  February  8th,  although  it  had  learned 
the  death  of  the  holy  father  on  the  previous  evening 
at  six  o’clock.  It  closed  the  Exchange  but  for  one 
day,  and  ordered  that  the  public  military  concerts 
which  took  place  for  the  amusement  of  the  pleasure- 
seekers,  in  the  gardens  on  the  heights  of  the  Pincio, 
should  be  suspended  till  further  notice. 

From  three  to  four  o’clock  of  February  8th,  all 
the  bells  of  Rome  were  tolled  as  if  they  would  plead 
for  prayers  for  the  eternal  repose  of  the  great  Pius. 
This  sad  and  melancholy  ringing  of  the  bells  was  the 
expression  of  universal  mourning  which  the  death  of 
Pius  IX.  had  caused  throughout  the  Eternal  City. 
Pius  IX.  had,  during  his  life,  created  an  enthusiasm 
far  more  widespread  than  that  created  in  France  by 
Napoleon  I.  during  the  first  decade  of  the  present 
century.  The  sorrow,  however,  with  which  his 
death  was  lamented  was,  if  possible,  still  more  univer¬ 
sal  ;  since  every  heart  which  can  value  magnanimity 
and  true  worth  lost  in  Pius  IX.  its  most  perfect 
model  and  ideal. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


AT  THE  BIER. 

At  eight  o’clock  on  the  evening  of  February  8th, 
the  members  of  the  papal  palace  and  other  officers  of 
the  Holy  See  called  on  his  Eminence  Cardinal  Pecci, 
Camerlengo  of  the  Holy  Roman  Church.  He  imme¬ 
diately  left  his  room  and  went  to  the  hall  where  the 
dead  pontiff  lay,  in  order  to  perform  the  act  of  the 
recognition  of  the  corpse.  His  Eminence  was  followed 
by  the  clerics  of  the  Apostolic  Chamber  ;  the  Major- 
domo,  Monsignor  Macchi,  Monsignors  Casali  del 
Drago  and  della  Volpe,  private  chamberlains  of  his 
Holiness. 

When  they  had  arrived  in  the  hall,  they  threw 
themselves  on  their  knees  at  the  bed  upon  which 
rested  the  mortal  remains  of  Pius  IX.,  and  adored  in 
all  humility  of  heart  the  inscrutable  disposition  of 
Divine  Providence.  After  his  Eminence  Cardinal 
Pecci  had  finished  a  prayer,  he  arose,  approached  the 
bier, .and  struck  the  brow  of  the  dead  pontiff  three 
times  with  a  silver  mallet,  pronouncing  each  time  the 
following  words  :  “  Holy  father,  Pius  IX.  then 
he  turned  to  his  attendants  and  declared  that  Pius 
IX.  was  dead,  and  forthwith  intoned  the  “  De  pro- 
fundis,  ”  to  which  the  attendants  responded  with 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX.  53 

deep  emotion.  He  repeated  once  more  the  absolu¬ 
tion,  and  sprinkled  the  countenance  of  his  Holiness 
with  holy  water. 

Then  Mgr.  Pericoli,  Clerk  of  the  Chamber  and 
Dean  of  the  College  of  Apostolic  Protonotaries, 
knelt  at  the  bedside  of  the  dead  Pontiff  and  read  the 
following  recognition  of  the  corpse,  which  we  trans¬ 
late  from  the  original  : 


THE  CAMERLENGO  WITH  THE  SILVER  MALLET. 


“This  morning,  February  8th,  at  eight  o’clock, 
Cardinal  Pecci,  Chamberlain  of  the  Holy  Roman 
Church,  accompanied  by  the  clerks  of  the  chamber, 
by  Mgr.  Vice-Chamberlain,  by  Mgr.  Auditor  of  the 
Reverend  Chamber,  by  the  Advocate-General  of  the 
Apostolic  Chamber,  by  the  Procurator-General,  and 
by  the  secretaries  and  chancellors  of  the  above  said 
chamber,  was  conducted  into  the  private  rooms  of 


54 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


his  Holiness,  in  one  ol  which  he  found  upon  the  bed 
of  death  the  corpse  of  his  Holiness.  The  death  of  the 
holy  father  being'  established,  and  the  prayers  for  the 
occasion  recited  on  behalf  of  his  blessed  soul,  his  Emi¬ 
nence  demanded  of  Mgr.  Macchi,  his  Holiness’s  Mas¬ 
ter  of  the  Chamber,  the  Ring  of  the  Fisherman, 
which  by  the  same  Mgr.  Macchi  was  immediately 
delivered  to  the  Chamberlain,  who  received  it,  here¬ 
after  to  present  it  in  the  first  congregation  of  car- 


THE  INSPECTION  OF  THE  CORPSE. 


dinals,  for  which  ring  his  Eminence  gave  a  receipt 
to  the  aforesaid  Monsignor,  Master  of  the  Chamber. 

“  After  that,  at  the  request  of  the  Cardinal  Cham¬ 
berlain,  a  solemn  act  of  these  proceedings  was  drawn 
up  and  signed  by  Mgr.  Pericoli,  Clerk  of  the  Cham¬ 
ber  and  Dean  of  the  College  of  the  Apostolic  Pro¬ 
tonotaries  ;  the  said  act  being  attested  by  the  Most 
Eminent  and  Most  Reverend  Chamberlain,  by  the 
others  above  named,  and  by  two  of  the  private  chain- 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


55 


berlains  of  the  late  pontiff,  the  Rev.  Mgrs.  Casali  del 
Drago  and  della  Volpe  being  witnesses  thereto. 

“  Adhering  to  the  injunctions  of  the  Most  Eminent 
and  Most  Reverend  Chamberlain  to  the  clerks  of  the 
Apostolic  Chamber,  these  have  met  together  before 
the  same  Most  Reverend  Eminence,  and,  in  accord¬ 
ance  with  the  ancient  customs,  divided  the  different 
duties  between  them.” 

At  this  solemn  act  there  were  present,  besides 
the  above-named  personages,  Mgr.  Vanutelli,  sub¬ 
stitute  of  the  secretary  (brother  of  the  Nuncio  in  Bel¬ 
gium),  the  Princes  Barberini  and  Altieri,  command¬ 
ers  of  the  Noble  Guard. 

His  Eminence  Cardinal  Pecci  hereupon  left  the 
death-chamber  and  returned  to  his  own  apartments. 

The  cherished  remains  of  the  holy  father  rested 
upon  an  iron  bed,  covered  with  red  silk  and  a  white 
coverlet,  so  that  only  his  head  could  be  seen.  The 
countenance,'  which  during  the  last  few  hours  of  his 
life  had  been  somewhat  contracted  on  account  of 
excessive  pain,  took  again  all  the  expression  of  super¬ 
human  kindness  with  which  it  had  shone  in  life,  and, 
instead  of  inspiring  terror,  drew  to  itself  with  irre¬ 
sistible  force  every  one  who  approached. 

During  the  night  between  the  8th  and  9th  of 
February  the  process  of  embalming  took  place.  Pro¬ 
fessor  Ceccarelli,  to  whom  this  function  had  been  in¬ 
trusted,  was  attended  by  the  three  physicians  who 
had  assisted  him  during  the  sickness  of  the  holy 
father.  The  other  medical  attendants  of  the  palace, 
Drs.  Battistini,  Melata,  Sciarra,  Capparoni,  and 
Prima,  also  took  part.  The  embalming  began  at  eight 
o’clock,  and  was  completed  at  four  o’clock  next 
morning.  It  was  performed  by  means  of  injection, 
as  also  by  means  of  preserving  the  separated  viscera. 


56 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


The  result  was  so  favorable,  that  even  on  the  sixth 
day  not  the  slightest  sign  of  decay  could  be  detected. 
This  was  the  more  desirable,  since  the  entire  failure 
of  the  embalming  of  Victor  Emmanuel  was  still  fresh 
in  the  memory  of  all. 

About  ten  o’clock  the  investment  of  the  dead 
pontiff  began.  One  hour  afterwards  the  rooms  were 
opened,  and  the  body  of  the  great  Pius  was  offered  to 
the  veneration  of  his  faithful  children.  Long  ere 
this  many  persons  who  had  access  to  the  Vatican 
had  waited  in  anxious  expectation  in  the  antecham¬ 
ber.  They  entered  and  crowded  around  the  dead 
pontiff,  touched  his  body  with  sacred  objects,  and 
knelt  in  prayer  at  his  side.  The  tears,  which  trickled 
down  the  cheeks  of  all,  spoke  more  eloquently  than 
words  of  the  love  felt  for  Pius  IX. 

There  he  rested  upon  the  bier,  decorated  with 
red  silk,  clothed  in  his  ordinary  white  garments,  and 
in  the  mozetta,  a  dark  red  cape  ;  the  head  was  cov¬ 
ered  with  the  camauro,  a  dark  velvet  beretta.  His 
arms  were  crossed  upon  his  breast,  his  hands  were 
white  as  snow.  A  heavenly  peace  shone  from  his 
countenance.  Mildness,  amiability,  attractiveness, 
seemed  to  have  descended  from  heaven  upon  the 
countenance  of  Pius  IX.  His  features  were  those  of 
the  just  man  who  has  fallen  asleep  in  the  peace  of  the 
Lord,  enjoying  a  foretaste  of  the  heavenly  glory  ;  his 
cheek  was  transparent  as  wax,  and  around  his  lips 
played  a  heavenly  smile.  The  hand  which  had  never 
tired  of  doing  good,  and  had  never  trembled  in  defend¬ 
ing  the  rights  of  the  Church,  rested  cold  and  lifeless  on 
his  breast  ;  but  the  crucifix,  the  last  hope  and  refuge 
of  him  who  believes  and  loves,  was  still  clasped  in 
sacred  embrace  as  an  assured  pledge  of  a  glorious 
resurrection. 


THE  CASTLE  AND  BRIDGE  OF  ST.  ANGELO  ;  ST.  PETER’S  IN  THE  BACKGROUND.  Page  57. 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


59 


The  bier  of  Pius  IX.  was  surrounded  by  every 
thing  symbolic  of  love  and  veneration,  as  well  as  ex¬ 
pressive  of  sorrow  and  grief.  In  the  streets  and  pub¬ 
lic  places  of  Rome,  as  in  the  Vatican,  the  8th  and  9th 
of  February  beheld  an  unbroken  succession  of  testi¬ 
monials  of  love  and  veneration  for  Pius  IX.  His 
mortal  eye  could  no  longer  see  them,  but  with  the 
eyes  of  the  spirit  he  looked  down  upon  his  devoted 
children  from  the  heights  of  heaven,  and  poured  into 
many  a  sorrow-stricken  heart  the  balm  of  consola¬ 
tion  and  hope. 

Words  cannot  express  the  grief  wnich  was 
manifested  around  the  bier  of  the  hot)'  father,  when, 
at  four  o’clock,  the  Duke  de  Witten  announced  the 
order  of  the  Major-domo,  Mgr.  Ricci,  that  all  should 
leave  the  death-chamber.  It  became  almost  neces¬ 
sary  for  the  Guard  of  Honor,  which  watched  over 
the  sacred  remains,  to  use  violence  in  order  to  exe¬ 
cute  the  command.  The  doors  were  closed  and  en¬ 
trance  refused.  Yet  every  now  and  then  distin¬ 
guished  persons,  Romans  as  well  as  foreigners,  called 
and  begged  to  be  allowed  to  kiss  once  more  the  feet 
of  his  Holiness.  How  sad  was  their  disappointment 
when  they  found  the  doors  closed  !  Slowly,  silently, 
and  with  weeping  eyes  they  went  home,  as  if  the 
cherubim  had  closed  to  them  the  gates  of  Paradise. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE  TRANSLATION  OF  THE  REMAINS. 

At  four  o’clock  on  the  evening  of  February  9th, 
the  venerated  body  of  the  great  Pius  was  clothed  in 
the  episcopal  vestments,  and  placed  upon  a  bier  pro¬ 
vided  for  the  purpose  of  conveying  the  body  from 
the  Vatican  palace  to  the  adjoining  Basilica  of 
St.  Peter. 

After  the  lapse  of  one  hour,  admission  to  the 
consistorial  hall  was  again  granted.  There  the  holy 
father  was,  for  a  few  hours  longer,  the  object  of  ven¬ 
eration  for  many  persons  of  high  rank,  who  had 
hitherto  been  prevented  from  kissing  his  feet  in  lov¬ 
ing  remembrance. 

Here  he  rested,  the  golden  mitre  upon  his  head,  the 
hands  folded  upon  his  breast,  and  the  image  of  his 
Lord  and  of  his  own  life  clasped  in  loving  embrace. 

In  the  meantime  those  who  were  about  to  take 
part  in  the  procession  had  gathered  in  the  hall  and 
in  the  adjoining  chambers.  The  clock  of  St.  Peter’s 
struck  half-past  six,  when  the  pall-bearers  took  up 
the  venerated  remains  of  the  beloved  holy  father, 
and  the  procession  began  to  move. 

At  the  head  marched  the  pages,  clothed  in  red 
velvet  ;  these  were  followed  by  the  clergy,  bearing 


ST.  PETER’S  CHURCH,  ROME.  Page  61. 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX.  63 

iYghted  tapers  in  their  hands.  On  both  sides  the 
Swiss  Guards,  the  most  devoted  attendants  of  Pius 
IX.,  marched  with  slow  and  solemn  step,  dressed  in 
their  peculiarly  striking  uniform.  After  these  came 
the  mace-bearers,  dressed  in  Spanish  costumes,  and 
the  officers  of  the  Swiss  Guards. 

Then  followed  the  bier  upon  which  rested  the 
remains  of  the  immortal  Pius  IX.,  borne  by  the 
Palafrenieri,  clothed  in  red  velvet,  surrounded  by  the 
Papal  Guard  of  Honor,  and  the  Penitentiaries  of  the 
Vatican  Basilica,  also  bearing  lighted  tapers  in  their 
hands. 

Behind  the  bier  followed  his  Eminence  Mgr. 
Ricci,  Major-Domo  ;  Mgr.  Macchi,  Maestro  di  Cam¬ 
era  ;  Mgr.  Saminiatelli,  Papal  Almoner  ;  the  Mgrs.  Ne- 
grotto,  Casali  del  Drago,  di  Bisogno,  and  della  Volpe, 
private  Chamberlains,  and  Mgr.  Vanutelli,  substitute 
of  the  Secretary  of  State.  These  were  followed  by 
the  laics,  functionaries  at  the  Vatican  palace  ;  the 
Marquis  Sachetti,  Lord  High  Steward,  the  Marquis 
Serlupi,  and  Commendatore  Fillipani,  Chief  Cup¬ 
bearer. 

The  next  group  consisted  of  the  Duke  of  Castel- 
vecchio,  General  of  the  Noble  Guard,  Prince  Al- 
tieri,  Colonel,  and  the  rest  of  the  officers  of  the  same 
corps. 

After  these  might  be  seen,  in  great  numbers,  the 
cardinals  of  the  holy  Roman  Church,  clothed  in  vio¬ 
let  gowns,  capes  fringed  with  ermine,  and  berettas 
of  red  silk  ;  these  also  bore  lighted  tapers,  and  at  the 
same  time  recited  the  Psalms. 

The  College  of  Cardinals  was  followed  by  his 
Excellency  Filippo  Orsini,  prince  assistant  at  the 
throne  ;  Prince  Marco  Chigi,  Marshal  of  the  Con¬ 
clave  ;  Prince  Ruspoli,  Master  of  the  Sacro  Ospi- 


64  A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  ITUS  IX. 

zio  ;  a  long  file  of  Roman  patricians  of  the  highest 
rank,  and  by  many  other  noble  personages  from 
abroad.  The  close  of  the  procession  was  formed  by 
a  number  of  private  chamberlains  of  his  Holiness,  and 
a  division  of  the  Palatine  Guard  of  Honor. 

The  overwhelming  effect  produced  by  this  sol¬ 
emn  procession  exceeds  anything  that  can  be  pic¬ 
tured  by  the  most  lively  imagination.  The  earnest 
bearing  of  the  participants,  the  tapers  glimmering 
through  the  darkness  of  the  night,  the  sounds  of  the 
prayers  dying  away  in  the  long  corridors  and  broad 
vaults  of  the  Vatican  palace,  the  mourning — deep, 
though  resigned — which  spoke  from  every  counte¬ 
nance  ;  all  this  made  a  spectacle  which  took  possession 
of  the  inmost  recesses  of  the  heart  ;  it  was,  in  a  word, 
a  procession  such  as  Torquatus  may  have  seen  in  the 
vaults  of  the  Catacombs. 

The  solemn  funeral  procession  passed  along  the 
spacious  halls  of  the  Vatican,  then  through  the  far- 
famed  galleries  of  Raphael,  through  the  royal  hall, 
and  thence  down  the  broad  marble  steps,  as  over 
so  many  grand  monuments  that  proclaimed  the  great¬ 
ness  of  the  Roman  pontiffs. 

A  great  number  of  Roman  citizens  who,  by  a 
special  favor,  had  obtained  admission  to  the  Vatican, 
had  stationed  themselves  along  the  walls  of  the  corri¬ 
dors,  where  with  tears  in  their  eyes  and  with  audible 
sobs  they  bade  a  last  farewell  to  their  beloved  father 
and  king. 

At  seven  o’clock  the  funeral  cortege  reached 
the  Chapel  of  the  Most  Blessed  Sacrament  in  St. 
Peter’s.  The  sacred  species  had  been  removed  to 
the  altar  of  the  crucifixion  of  St.  Peter,  situated  in 
the  left  aisle.  The  corpse  was  received  with  impres¬ 
sive  solemnity  by  the  Chapter  of  the  Vatican  Ba- 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX.  65 

silica,  and  placed  upon  the  catafalque  erected  for  that 
purpose. 

All  the  cardinals  and  ecclesiastical  dignitaries 
who  had  taken  part  in  the  procession  arranged 
themselves  in  a  circle  around  the  catafalque.  The 
choir  of  the  Capella  Giuglia  intoned  the  “  Libera 
me  Domine  the  tones  burst  forth  slowly  and  sol¬ 
emnly,  re-echoing  from  the  gigantic  pilasters  that 
stood  opposite,  and,  like  unto  distant  thunder,  died 
away  in  the  vaults  of  St.  Peter’s.  Mgr.  Folicaldi, 
Archbishop  of .  Ephesus  and  Canon  of  the  Basilica, 
performed  the  sacred  ceremony  of  absolution. 

All  withdrew  after  taking  one  more  long  and 
affectionate  look  at  the  illustrious  dead  ;  the  last  step 
died  away  in  the  spacious  hall ;  deep  and  still  deeper 
the  night  enveloped  the  sublime  dome  of  Michael 
Angelo.  Deathlike  silence  reigned  supreme  at  St. 
Peter’s,  interrupted  ever  and  anon  by  the  clank  of 
swords  when  the  detachment  of  the  Papal  Noble 
Guard  who  kept  watch  around  the  bier  of  their  be¬ 
loved  sovereign  Pius  IX.  were  relieved. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


IN  ST.  PETER’S. 

This  silence  was  but  of  brief  duration.  Pius  IX., 
whose  life  had  fallen  upon  stormy  times,  was  des¬ 
tined  to  enjoy  but  a  brief  repose  even  in  death.  The 
hour  of  midnight  had  scarcely  sounded  from  the 
tower  of  St.  Peter’s  when  voices  were  heard  at  the 
gates.  Who  dares  disturb  the  rest  of  the  venerable 
dead,  who  while  alive  could  have  insured  silence  by 
a  single  look  ?  The  murmurs  grow  louder,  the 
voices  become  more  audible.  Do  they  intend  to 
offer  violence,  to  break  through  the  railing  and  force 
open  the  gates  ? 

Yes,  they  mean  to  offer  violence,  but  not  that 
rude  violence  which  works  only  destruction  ;  but 
gentle  force  prompted  by  great  and  deep-seated  love. 
Already  at  the  midnight  hour  the  devoted  children 
of  Pius  stand  in  front  of  the  bronze  gates  of  St. 
Peter’s,  demanding  entrance,  in  order  to  gaze  upon 
their  beloved  father,  to  pray  for  his  repose,  to  kiss 
reverently  his  sacred  feet,  and  to  draw  courage  and 
hope  from  his  very  countenance,  though  no  longer 
glowing  with  that  fire  and  animation  which  illum¬ 
ined  it  in  life,  in  order  to  renew  their  resolve  to  live 
and  suffer  according  to  his  noble  and  heroic  example. 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX.  67 

Standing-  in  front  of  the  grated  entrance,  or  seated 
on  the  steps  of  the  terrace,  the  Romans  waited  from 
midnight  till  the  break  of  day,  in  order  to  be  at  the 
bier  of  Pio  Nono. 

Under  the  left  colonnade  of  Bernini  a  battalion 
of  infantry  was  stationed  ;  the  police  and  a  number 
of  carabinieri  stood  on  the  terrace  in  front  of  the 
church  to  insure  public  order.  However,  this  demon¬ 
stration  of  the  Romans  in  favor  of  the  papal  sover¬ 
eignty  was,  in  its  very  nature,  too  peaceable  to  cause 
any  apprehension  of  disturbance. 

When  the  dawn  of  February  10th  broke  upon 
the  spray  of  the  fountains  in  the  square  of  St. 
Peter’s,  the  grated  gates  of  the  church  were  thrown 
open,  and,  like  a  living  stream,  the  assembled  mass 
poured  into  the  spacious  vestibule.  This  square, 
which  can  easily  contain  two  hundred  thousand  per¬ 
sons,  was  thronged  with  hackney  coaches  and  the 
carriages  of  nobles  ;  and  along  the  three  avenues  which 
lead  to  St.  Peter’s  might  be  seen  cabs  and  escutch- 
eoned  carriages,  three  abreast,  winding  slowly  to¬ 
wards  the  church.  The  whole  scene,  as  viewed  from 
the  steps  of  the  terrace,  was  grand  and  affecting  ; 
and  the  thick  fog,  which  seemed  to  challenge  the 
breaking  dawn,  was  a  faithful  picture  of  the  deep 
mourning  with  which  the  death  of  Pius  IX.  had  filled 
the  hearts  of  the  Romans  and  of  the  entire  Catholic 
world.  Though  the  multitude  had  long  to  wait,  and 
the  morning  breeze  was  chilly,  not  a  word  of  com¬ 
plaint  nor  a  sound  of  impatience  escaped  their  lips. 
The  countenances  of  men  and  women,  of  peasant  and 
citizen,  of  priests  and  laymen,  presented  an  expres¬ 
sion  of  sincere  and  deep  sorrow,  as  if  they  would  say 
to  the  stranger,  who  happened  to  lean  against  the 
base  of  one  of  the  colossal  pillars  of  the  fa£ade,  view- 


68 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


mg'  them  with  inquiring  looks  :  “  Weep  with  us  ; 

for  our  father  is  dead.” 

A  few  minutes  before  seven  o’clock,  the  bars 
were  removed,  and  a  prolonged  murmur  of  satisfac¬ 
tion  arose  from  the  crowd.  The  outer  door  on  the 
left  turned  on  its  hinges  ;  every  one  crowded  to¬ 
wards  it  ;  but  immediately  after  the  door  next  to  it 
opened,  and  thus  a  part  of  the  multitude  found  en¬ 
trance  there.  At  the  same  time  the  doors  at  the 
right  of  the  main  entrance  were  thrown  open.  The 
janitors  deserve  all  praise  for  the  great  prudence 
which  they  exercised  on  this  occasion  ;  for  it  was  by 
this  means  that  the  danger  attendant  on  a  crowd  of 
the  kind  was  averted. 

As  the  multitude  entered  they  beheld  at  first  the 
blinding  light  that  streamed  from  the  Chapel  of  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  into  the  yet  partially  dark  nave  of 
St.  Peter’s.  Riveting  their  gaze  upon  the  spot  where 
the  precious  remains  rested,  they  passed  by  the  great 
works  of  art,  not  deeming  them  worthy  of  even  a 
passing  glance,  and  proceeded  to  the  chapel.  There, 
towards  the  left  of  the  grated  door,  they  beheld  the 
bier  of  their  beloved  father. 

Upon  a  bed  of  state,  hung  with  red  velvet,  lies 
Pius  IX.,  vested  in  his  episcopal  robes.  The  upper 
part  of  the  body  is  somewhat  raised,  and  can  be 
seen  from  the  middle  aisle.  He  wears  violet  gloves 
interwoven  with  silver.  The  bishop’s  ring  glitters 
on  his  finger.  Even  in  death,  he  clasps  in  fond  em¬ 
brace  the  cross,  the  sign  of  our  undying  hopes,  which 
had  ever  accompanied  him  during  life.  The  mitre, 
inlaid  with  gold,  adorns  his  sacred  brow.  His  coun¬ 
tenance,  whose  lineaments  death  itself  could  not  dis¬ 
tort,  beams  with  majesty  and  grandeur,  and  retains 
that  amiability  and  sweetness  which  makes  one  imag- 


Michael’s  hospital.  Page  69. 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


7 1 


ine  that  he  stands  before  the  shrine  of  a  saint.  His 
eye,  which  had  so  long  kept  faithful  ward  from  the 
watch-tower  of  the  Church,  to  guide  the  storm-tossed 
nations  from  the  foaming  sea  to  the  rock  on  which  he 
stood,  is  closed  as  if  in  sleep.  The  lips,  that  had 
uttered  the  word  of  forgiveness  to  many  an  erring 
soul,  are  mute  ;  but  the  smile,  which  in  life  enchanted 
all  who  saw  it,  still  plays  around  his  lips,  and  even 
now  captivates  the  beholder  ;  for  it  is  the  expression 
of  his  great  and  loving  heart. 

On  either  side  of  the  catafalque  hangs  a  car¬ 
dinal’s  hat,  adorned  with  heavy  tassels  of  silk.  Four 
soldiers  of  the  Papal  Guard,  dressed  in  a  uniform  of 
light  and  dark  blue,  a  shining  helmet  surmounted 
with  a  white  cockade,  stand  motionless  with  drawn 
swords  at  the  four  corners  of  the  bier.  One  of  the 
Swiss  Guards,  with  helmet  and  halberd,  is  stationed 
at  the  grate  which  separates  the  Chapel  of  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  from  the  grand  nave. 

The  feet  of  the  Pope,  covered  with  slippers  of  red 
silk,  were  extended  through  the  bars  of  the  grate  in 
such  a  manner  that  the  pious  faithful  were  enabled 
to  kiss  them.  It  was  affecting  to  the  highest  degree 
to  witness  how  the  devout  assembly  endeavored  to 
touch  the  vestments  of  the  holy  father  with  medals, 
chaplets,  crucifixes,  rings,  and  pictures,  in  order  to 
carry  them  away  in  loving  and  perpetual  remem¬ 
brance. 

However,  the  multitude  swelled  like  a  mountain 
torrent.  The  carabinieri,  who  had  been  stationed 
in  the  church,  outside  the  grating  of  the  chapel, 
were  no  longer  able  to  withstand  the  throng.  Rein¬ 
forcements  were  called  in.  The  people  were  al¬ 
lowed  to  enter  at  one  of  the  two  gates  on  the  left 
side  ;  a  semicircle  was  formed  by  the  police  in  front 


72 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


of  the  grating,  so  that  only  two  or  three  persons  at  a 
time  had  room  to  pass  and  kiss  the  feet  of  his  Holi¬ 
ness.  They  were  allowed  to  tarry  for  a  moment  at 
the  bier,  to  take  one  sorrowful  glance  at  the  beloved 
features  of  their  dead  pontiff,  after  which  they  issued 
from  the  church  at  the  door  on  the  extreme  right. 
The  door  on  the  extreme  left,  as  you  enter,  was  left 
open  for  those  whose  time  was  too  limited  to  make 
the  pious  yet  tedious  pilgrimage  to  the  feet  of  the 
holy  father. 

To  express  the  exclamations  of  love  and  sorrow 
which  escaped  from  the  lips  of  the  faithful  as  they 
arrived  at  the  grating,  to  portray  the  devotion  with 
which  they  kissed  the  feet  of  their  departed  father, 
would  require  the  pen  of  a  Dante  and  the  pencil  of  a 
Raphael. 

At  ten  o’clock  it  was  evident  that  the  arrange¬ 
ments  made  for  the  preservation  of  order  were  insuffi¬ 
cient.  The  multitude  grows  from  minute  to  minute, 
and  has  become  a  rushing  torrent.  The  carabinieri 
are  powerless  to  oppose  it  ;  they  are  swept  away  by 
the  billows  of  living  beings.  At  this  stage  a  numer¬ 
ous  division  of  soldiers  of  the  line  enter  through  the 
door  of  the  sacristy,  by  permission  of  Mgr.  Theodoli, 
rector  of  the  church  ;  these  troops  separate  the  mul¬ 
titude,  and  form  in  front  of  the  grate  behind  which 
the  catafalque  looms  up.  All  the  entrances  to  the 
vestibule  are  closed,  with  the  exception  of  the  second, 
which  answers  as  an  exit.  The  last  grated  door  to 
the  left  is  opened  from  time  to  time,  allowing  sev¬ 
eral  thousand  people  to  enter  at  each  opening.  From 
the  choir  chapel,  opposite  that  of  the  Blessed  Sacra¬ 
ment,  where  the.  canons  of  St.  Peter’s  celebrated  di¬ 
vine  service,  are  heard  in  tones  at  once  earnest  and 
solemn  the  sounds  of  the  requiem. 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


73 


At  eleven  o’clock,  St.  Peter’s  place,  the  adjoin¬ 
ing-  Piazza  Rusticucci,  the  avenues,  the  bridges,  the 
public  squares,  all  the  streets  of  the  Leonine  City  are 
closely  packed  with  people  and  vehicles.  All  Rome 
moves  towards  St.  Peter’s,  in  order  to  bestow  a  last 
tribute  of  veneration  upon  her  father,  benefactor, 
king,  and  pontiff.  The  inhabitants  of  the  neighboring 
cities  and  villages,  who  had  come  to  Rome  in  great 
numbers,  mingled  with  the  throng. 

At  noon  the  multitude  who  have  flocked  to  the 
bier  of  Pius  IX.  exceeds  all  belief.  Perfect  order, 
however,  is  observed  ;  the  behavior  of  the  Roman 
people  is  calm  and  dignified.  The  solemn  requiem 
mass  is  over.  The  bronze  statue  of  St.  Peter  and 
the  tomb  of  the  Prince  of  the  Apostles  are  surround¬ 
ed  at  all  hours  by  the  faithful  of  every  age  and  con¬ 
dition  of  life,  who,  on  bended  knees,  remember  in 
pious  supplication  their  dearly  beloved  deceased 
father. 

Three  o’clock  witnesses  in  the  great  square  of 
St.  Peter’s  and  its  surroundings  a  scene  similar  to 
that  which  was  exhibited  in  former  and  better  times 
on  all  the  great  festivals  of  the  Church.  An  inter¬ 
minable  procession  of  hackney  coaches  and  princely 
carriages  moves  in  front  of  St.  Peter’s  towards 
Borgo  di  Santo  Spirito  and  Ponte  Sisto,  in  order  to 
disperse  themselves  from  these  points  in  all  direc¬ 
tions. 

At  lour  o’clock,  the  throng  in  front  of  the  grating 
of  the  vestibule  increases  to  such  an  extent  that  it  is 
resolved,  in  order  to  avoid  accidents,  to  close  the 
church.  This  decision  causes  great  dissatisfaction 
among  the  assembled  people,  since  many  who  had 
come  from  Frascati,  Albano,  Tivoli,  and  other  dis¬ 
tant  cities,  and  who  had  intended  to  return  on  the 


74 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


same  evening-,  found  themselves  disappointed  in  their 
hopes  of  kissing  the  feet  of  the  holy  father. 

It  would  seem  as  if  the  Humber  of  people  flock¬ 
ing  to  the  bier  of  Pius  IX.  should  have  decreased 
after  the  first  day.  But  the  same  spectacle,  more  im¬ 
posing  even,  if  possible,  took  place  on  the  three  fol¬ 
lowing  days.  The  soldiers,  in  order  to  keep  the 
multitude  in  check,  were  obliged  to  form  a  double 
line,  extending  to  the  second  flight  of  stairs,  and  thus 
let  the  people  file  into  the  church.  The  terrace  and 
the  piazza  of  St.  Peter’s  were  taken  possession  of, 
from  early  morn  till  late  at  night,  by  a  vast  con¬ 
course  of  people.  Even  the  rain,  which  fell  in  great 
abundance  on  the  12th  of  February,  was  not  able  to 
disperse  the  crowd  whose  attachment  to  Pius  IX.  was 
unconquerable. 

There  were  witnessed  at  the  bier  of  the  immortal 
Pius  IX.  many  things  calculated  to  console  and  edify  ; 
for  the  days  between  the  7th  and  23d  of  February 
were  days  of  a  solemn  recognition  of  the  papacy. 
On  the  other  hand,  many  things  caused  deep  sorrow 
and  grief.  The  pen  is  loath  to  describe  them,  but 
truth  demands  it  imperatively. 

As  the  life  of  Pius  IX.  had  been  a  portrait  of  the 
life  of  our  Lord,  Crux  de  Cruce,  so  also  his  bier  in  St. 
Peter’s  presented  many  striking  points  of  similarity 
to  the  sepulchre  of  our  Lord  on  Mount  Calvary. 

Victor  Emmanuel,  King  of  Italy,  had  died,  on 
the  9th  of  January,  in  the  palace  of  the  Quirinal,  and 
was  buried  in  the  Pantheon,  both  usurped  from  his 
Holiness.  On  his  deathbed  he  implored  forgiveness 
of  the  Pope  for  all  the  wrongs  inflicted  on  the 
Church.  He  died  with  sentiments  of  sincere  contri¬ 
tion,  like  the  penitent  thief  on  the  cross.  Pius  IX. 
uttered  in  his  behalf  the  following  consoling  words  : 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


75 


“  May  God  pardon  him,  as  I  also  pardon  him  from 
the  bottom  of  my  heart.”  After  the  lapse  of  one 
month,  the  noble  Pius  followed  him  to  the  grave. 
And  now  the  days  of  the  hero  of  the  island  of  Caprera, 
Garibaldi,  seem  to  be  numbered.  But  even  if 
Pius  IX.  should  not,  according  to  the  example  of  his 
Lord,  die  in  so  striking  a  manner,  between  two 
thieves,  it  will  remain  true,  nevertheless,  that  the 


THE  PANTHEON. 

tomb  of  Pius  bears  unmistakable  points  of  similarity 
to  the  sepulchre  of  our  Lord  in  Jerusalem. 

Pilate  said  to  the  Pharisees,  ‘‘You  have  a  guard  : 
go,  guard  it  as  you  know  ;  but  they  going,  secured 
the  sepulchre  with  guards”  (Matt.  xxvi.  65). 

This  bier,  these  guards,  carabinieri  and  sol¬ 
diers,  whom  the  government  of  Italy  sent  to  guard 
in  death  him  whom  during  life  they  had  robbed 
of  his  royal  diadem,  remind  us  vividly  of  the  guard 
which  Pilate  stationed  at  the  sepulchre  of  Him  whose 
vicar  Pius  IX.  had  been  upon  earth. 

Insults  and  rudeness  were  not  wanting  around 


y6 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


the  bier  of  him  whom  the  whole  world  venerates. 
Some  Italian  soldiers,  and  not  a  few  Italian  officers, 
conducted  themselves,  on  this  occasion,  in  St.  Peter’s, 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  call  upon  them  the  condemna¬ 
tion  of  all  Europe.  They  used  such  words  to  the  vis¬ 
itors  of  the  bier  of  Pius  IX.  and  took  such  unbecom¬ 
ing  liberties  as  were  by  no  means  in  conformity 
with  the  decency  we  naturally  expect  from  officers  of 
the  crown,  and  were  altogether  inexcusable  when  the 
sanctity  of  the  place  in  which  they  happened  is  taken 
into  consideration. 

Even  a  Judas  was  not  wanting  at  the  death  of 
Pius  IX.  Marco  Minghetti,  who,  as  minister  of  Pius 
IX.,  had  received  the  Blessed  Sacrament  from  the 
pontiff’s  hand,  in  confirmation  of  his  oath  of  loyalty, 
and  who,  a  short  time  afterwards,  betrayed  him  so 
shamefully,  was  also  at  the  bier  of  Pius  IX.  Who 
knows  what  sentiments  the  lifeless  countenance  of  his 
sovereign  engendered  in  his  soul  ? 

But  the  consoling  personages  of  the  sepulchre 
of  Christ  were  also  found  in  St.  Peter’s  on  this  oc¬ 
casion.  During  the  night  many  of  the  Roman  no¬ 
bility,  by  a  special  favor  of  Mgr.  Theodoli,  ap¬ 
proached,  like  Nicodemus  of  old,  to  pay  their  respect 
and  veneration  to  Pius,  the  Vicar  of  our  Lord.  Even 
the  pious  women  were  not  wanting.  They  touched 
the  precious  remains  of  the  holy  father  with  sacred 
objects,  which,  like  Veronica,  they  carried  off,  as  a 
precious  souvenir  of  their  beloved  pontiff. 

Such  are  the  impressions  received  in  these  days 
at  Rome — impressions  calculated  to  cheer  the  gloomy 
hours  of  a  whole  lifetime— impressions  the  more  val¬ 
uable  because  they  proved,  with  irresistible  force,  that 
the  heart  of  the  Roman  people  points  towards  St. 
Peter’s,  as  the  magnet  turns  towards  the  pole. 


CHAPTER  X. 


THE  BURIAL. 

The  entrance  into  the  grandest  temple  which 
man  has  erected  in  honor  of  his  Creator,  is  always 
elevating  and  impressive.  But  he  who,  on  the  eve¬ 
ning  of  the  13th  of  February,  entered  St.  Peter’s 
through  the  small  side-door,  would  be  overpowered 
by  a  feeling  which  he  himself  would  not  be  able  to 
describe.  Upon  slender  iron  candlesticks,  placed 
here  and  there,  burned  small  wax  tapers,  which  lit 
up  the  marble  floor  of  St.  Peter’s  with  a  melancholy 
effect.  Further  on  glimmered  the  lamps  of  the 
“Confessio,”  where  the  sacred  body  of  the  Galilean 
Fisherman  reposes,  to  whom  Christ  entrusted  the 
guidance  of  his  Church.  On  either  side  of  him  re¬ 
pose  many  of  his  glorious  successors,  whose  epitaphs 
are  a  compendious  history  of  the  world.  To  these 
was  about  to  be  associated  one  of  the  “  best  hated,” 
but  at  the  same  time  most  affectionately  beloved,  of 
Roman  pontiffs. 

The  bier  upon  which  reposed  the  mortal  re¬ 
mains  of  Pius  IX.  had  been  moved  into  the  middle  of 
the  Chapel  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  In  front  of  the 
railing  a  great  number  of  the  Roman  nobility  and 
many  distinguished  foreigners,  who  had  obtained  an 


78 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


entrance-ticket,  waited  anxiously.  They  numbered 
from  four  to  five  thousand. 

The  shades  of  the  approaching  night  had  already 
begun  to  shroud  the  magnificent  basilica,  when  the 
cardinals,  who  had  assembled  at  six  o’clock  in  the 
Hall  of  the  Consistory,  entered  the  chapel.  In  pass¬ 
ing  they  kissed  the  feet  of  the  dead  pontiff,  as  is 
prescribed  by  the  ritual,  making  a  genuflection  at 
the  bier,  and  then  ranged  themselves  in  a  circle 
around  the  catafalque.  From  the  sacristy  the 
canons  and  beneficiaries,  together  with  the  choir  of 
the  Capella  Giuglia,  issued  two  by  two.  Having  ar¬ 
rived  at  the  bier,  Mgr.  Folicaldi,  Archbishop  of 
Ephesus,  clothed  in  black  cope  and  surplice,  be¬ 
sprinkled  the  venerable  corpse  with  holy  water,  re¬ 
cited  the  prescribed  prayer,  and  intoned  with  fal¬ 
tering  voice  the  “  Miserere.”  The  singers  of  the 
Julian  Chapel,  under  the  excellent  direction  of  Salva¬ 
tore  Meluzzi,  answered  with  those  deep  sonorous 
tones,  so  characteristic  of  genuine  church-music,  and 
so  well  calculated  to  touch  the  heart  and  raise  it 
heavenward. 

The  solemn  moment  had  arrived  in  which  the 
mortal  remains  of  Pius  IX.  were  to  be  translated  to 
that  place  in  which  every  Pope  is  buried  until  the 
death  of  his  successor. 

The  great  silver  cross,  which  headed  the  pro¬ 
cession  was  followed  by  the  alumni  of  the  Vatican 
Seminary,  bearing  lighted  tapers  and  chanting  the 
“Miserere.”  The  chapter  of  St.  Peter’s,  with  the 
Arch-priest  of  the  Basilica,  Cardinal  Edward  Borro- 
meof  followed.  Then  came  the  bier,  surrounded  by  the 
Guard  of  Honor  and  a  division  of  the  Swiss  Guard. 
The  clergy  of  St.  Peter’s,  the  officers  of  the  Guard 
of  Nobles,  and  the  members  of  the  archconfrater- 
*  Died  Dec.  i,  1881. 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  ITUS  IX. 


79 


nity  of  St.  Michael  in  Borgo,  had  divided  among 
themselves  the  honor  of  carrying  the  sacred  remains 
of  the  great  Pius  to  the  grave.  Behind  the  coffin 
followed  their  Eminences  the  Cardinals,  the  officers 
of  the  Vatican  Palace,  the  private  chamberlains,  and 
many  others  whom  special  ties  of  love  and  gratitude 


CARDINAL  BORROMEO. 


had  attached  to  the  venerable  deceased.  A  division 
of  the  Palatine  Guard  of  Honor,  composed  of  Roman 
citizens,  closed  the  solemn  funeral  cortege. 

The  procession  having  issued  from  the  Chapel  of 
the  Blessed  Sacrament,  turned  towards  the  right,  in 
the  direction  of  the  tomb  of  the  Prince  of  the  Apos¬ 
tles.  The  sounds  of  the  “  Miserere”  re-echo  from  the 
gigantic  pillars  of  the  church  ;  the  multitude  is  or 


8o 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


bronze  statue  of  St.  Peter.  The  first  of  the  long 
line  of  popes  seems  about  to  bless  in  his  march  to 
the  grave  rne  dead  Pius,  the  only  one  who  has  sur¬ 
passed  the  years  of  St.  Peter. 


bended  knees  ;  the  procession  moves  more  and  more 
slowly  ;  the  bier  stops  for  a  moment  in  front  of  the 


THE  CHURCH  OF  ST.  JOHN  LATERAN. 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


83 


At  the  “Confessio,  ”  the  procession  turns  again 
towards  the  left,  going  down  the  middle  aisle,  and 
enters  the  chapel  of  the  choir.  The  bier  is  turned  in 
such  a  manner  that  the  dead  pontiff  is  carried  as  is 
prescribed,  the  head  first  entering  the  chapel.  There 
he  is  placed  in  the  middle,  surrounded  by  numerous 
clerks.  After  Mgr.  Folicaldi  has  recited  the  prayer 
prescribed  in  the  ritual  for  such  occasions,  Mgr. 
Ricci,  Chief  Chamberlain,  approaches  the  bier  and 
covers  the  face  of  the  deceased  with  a  white  cloth  ; 
the  attendant  taking  one  long  fixed  look  at  the  amia¬ 
ble  features  of  Pius  IX.  Many  sobs  are  heard  dur¬ 
ing  the  pauses  which  the  singers  of  the  Capella 
Giuglia  are  wont  to  make  from  time  to  time.  Mgr. 
Martinucci,  Papal  Master  of  Ceremonies,  spreads  a 
large  red  silk  veil  over  the  entire  body  of  the  de¬ 
ceased,  whereupon  the  pall-bearers  place  the  corpse 
in  the  first  coffin,  made  of  pine  wood.  The  chief 
steward  approaches  and  deposits  in  the  coffin  three 
red  velvet  purses  containing,  respectively,  thirty-two 
golden,  thirty-two  silver,  and  thirty-two  copper  med¬ 
als,  corresponding  to  the  number  of  years  of  the 
reign  of  Pius.  At  the  feet  of  the  dead  pontiff  lies 
enclosed  in  a  metal  case  a  eulogy  written  on  parch¬ 
ment,  the  work  of  Mgr.  Mercurelli,  describing  the 
deeds  of  his  pontificate.  A  silk  ribbon  is  placed 
crosswise  upon  the  coffin,  sealed  with  five  different 
seals.  Archbishop  Folicaldi  pronounces  the  last 
absolution,  the  lid  of  the  coffin  is  put  on,  and  the 
mortal  remains  of  one  of  the  most  glorious  Roman 
pontiffs  are  hidden  forever  from  the  sight  of  his 
mourning  children. 

Whilst  Filiberto  Pomponi,  the  chancellor  of  the 
chapter  of  St.  Peter’s,  read  a  document  in  which 
he  described  all  that  had  transpired  since  the  death 


84 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


of  the  Pope,  the  first  coffin  was  placed  in  a  second 
one  made  of  lead,  and  the  cover  was  sealed  with 
seven  seals.  The  leaden  coffin  was  adorned  with  a 
cross,  the  coat-of-arms  of  the  Pope  without  the  keys, 
for  these  emblems  are  the  signs  of  a  living  power, 
and  with  the  following  inscription  : 

CORPUS 

PII  IX.  P.  M. 

Vixit.  An.  LXXXV.  M.  VIII.  D.  XXVI. 

Eccles.  Univer.  Praefuit 
An.  XXXI.  M.  VII.  D.  XXIII. 

Obiit.  Die.  VII.  Febr.  An.  MDCCCLXXVIII. 

Both  coffins  were  placed  in  a  third  one,  made 
of  walnut,  and  were  then  conveyed  from  the  chapel 
to  their  resting-place.  This  is  above  the  door  that 
leads  to  the  vestry  of  the  choristers,  opposite  the 
monument  of  Innocent  VIII.  The  coffin  was  raised 
by  means  of  a  mechanical  contrivance  about  twenty 
feet  in  the  air,  and  whilst  the  choir  sang  the  last  verse 
of  the  Benedictus,  “  Illuminare  his  qui  in  tenebris  et 
in  umbra  mortis  sedent,  ad  dirigendos  pedes  nos¬ 
tros  in  viam  pacis,  ”  the  coffin  disappeared  in  the 
wall.  The  masons  began  their  work,  and  by  nine 
o’clock  the  solemn  service  was  concluded.  A  simple 
sarcophagus,  upon  which  rests  a  tiara,  bears  on  the 
outside  this  short  inscription  : 

PIUS  IX.  P.  M. 

The  diplomatic  corps,  the  wife  of  the  President  of 
the  American  Republic  of  Costa  Rica,  and  the  Hite 
of  the  Roman  nobility  were  present  at  the  solem- 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


35 


nity,  and  had  their  seats  in  the  gallery  of  the  chapel. 
Long  after  the  ceremony  the  faithful  were  still  seen 
kneeling  before  the  newly-closed  tomb,  but  their 
prayer  for  the  repose  of  the  soul  of  Pius  IX.  was 
involuntarily  changed  into  prayer  to  a  saint. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


THE  OBSEQUIES. 

It  has  been  the  custom  for  many  centuries  for 
the  cardinals,  before  they  commence  the  election  of 
a  new  pontiff,  to  spend  several  days  in  prayer  for  the 
deceased  pope.  In  the  year  607,  Boniface  III.  pre¬ 
scribed  that  no  one  should  take  any  steps  towards 
the  election  of  a  new  pontiff  until  three  days  had 
elapsed  from  the  death  of  his  predecessor.  This  cus¬ 
tom  was  made  a  law  by  Gregory  X.  in  the  Gen¬ 
eral  Council  of  Lyons,  1274,  by  a  decree  in  which  he 
prescribed  that,  after  the  death  of  the  pope,  the  car¬ 
dinals  should  wait  ten  days  for  the  arrival  of  absent 
electors,  and  celebrate  in  the  mean  time  the  obsequies 
of  the  deceased  during  nine  days.  Pius  IV.  in  the 
year  1562,  ratified  this  funeral  service  of  nine  days 
by  the  bull  “  In  eligendis,”  and  Gregory  XV.  in  the 
year  1622  by  the  bull  “  Decet  Romanum  Pontifi- 
cem,”  fixed  the  sum  of  ten  thousand  ducats,  which 
the  expenses  of  the  obsequies  were  not  to  exceed. 

In  virtue  of  the  decree  which  the  Cardinal  Vicar, 
Monaco,  issued  on  February  7th,  masses  for  the  dead 
were  immediately  said  in  all  the  churches  of  Rome 
after  the  death  of  Pius  IX.  They  were  celebrated 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX.  87  . 

with  unusual  solemnity  in  the  Church  of  St.  Appol- 
linarius,  at  which  the  students  of  the  Roman  Semi¬ 
nary  assisted  ;  in  the  German  National  Church,  “  All’ 
Anima,”  where  the  students  of  the  German  College 
added  to  the  solemnity  of  divine  service  by  their 
melodious  singing  ;  and  in  the  church  of  the  Jesuits, 
where  the  catafalque  erected  for  the  occasion  was  a 
real  work  of  art.  The  requiem  masses  which  the 
chapter  of  St.  Peter’s  had  ordered  for  the  dead  pontiff 
in  the  Vatican  basilica  were  likewise  conspicuous  on 
account  of  the  great  display  and  numerous  donations 
of  the  people.  At  the  conclusion  of  every  service 
the  tomb  of  Pius  IX.  was  surrounded  by  a  throng  of 
faithful,  who  on  their  knees  prayed  for  his  repose,  or 
rather  for  his  intercession  at  the  throne  of  God. 

The  cardinals,  for  a  well-known  and  obvious  reason, 
declined  to  hold  a  solemn  requiem  in  St.  Peter’s.  But 
the  obsequies  which  the  College  of  Cardinals  ordered 
to  be  held  in  the  Sixtine  Chapel  in  the  Vatican  were 
the  more  solemn.  This  chapel  was  built  by  Sixtus 
IV.  in  1473,  and  embellished  by  the  unrivalled  paint¬ 
ings  of  Michael  Angelo. 

It  is  in  the  same  domestic  chapel  of  the  pope  that, 
before  the  entrance  of  the  Italian  troops  into  Rome, 
took  place  those  grand  ceremonies  which  attracted 
so  many  thousands  of  strangers  to  the  Eternal  City. 

Formerly,  during  such  solemnities,  the  far-famed 
tapestries  or  Arrazzi  of  Raphael  were  to  be  seen,  which 
constitute  the  greatest  art  treasure  of  the  Vatican 
Gallery.  But  since  1870  these  ceremonies  had  ceas¬ 
ed,  and  strangers  were  only  admitted  to  admire  the 
sublime  productions  of  Michael  Angelo.  Even  the 
director  of  the  renowned  choir  has  retired  to  his 
beautiful  villa  at  Montefalco,  in  the  much-praised 
valle}r  of  Clitumnus. 


.  88 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  FIUS  IX. 


On  February  the  15th,  the  chapel,  after  having 
been  closed  for  seven  years,  was  again  opened  for 
the  first  time,  not  indeed  for  the  celebration  of  a 
joyous  and  happy  festival,  but  for  the  obsequies  of 
him  who  had  shown  himself  so  often  in  this  chapel 
in  all  his  majesty.  In  the  middle  of  the  chapel  rose 
a  gigantic  catafalque,  on  which  reposed  a  tiara,  the 
emblem  of  the  papal  dignity.  The  design  was  a  pro¬ 
duction  of  the  mind  of  the  architect,  Martinucci.  A 
forest  of  candles  surrounded  the  bier,  and  the  follow¬ 
ing  inscriptions  adorned  the  four  sides  of  the  cata¬ 
falque  : 


Petri  Annos 
In  Romana  sede 
Unus  Superavit. 

Optimi  Principis 
Nomen  et  Famam 
Est  Meritus. 

Mariam  D.  M. 
Immaculatam. 

Rom.  Pont.  Magisterium 
Inerrans. 

Beneficentia  Ingenio  Moderatione 
Animos  Omnium  ad  sui 
Admirationem  erexit. 


On  the  side  of  the  base  on  which  stood  the  cata¬ 
falque  were  exhibited  four  exquisite  bas-reliefs.  They 
represented  the  oath  of  allegiance  of  the  Roman 
senator  to  the  deceased  pontiff  ;  the  proclamation 
of  the  dogma  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  ;  the 
beneficence  of  Pius  IX.;  and  the  dead  pontiff  himself 
on  the  bier,  in  the  Chapel  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament  in 
St.  Peter’s. 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


91 


Towards  ten  o’clock  the  seats  of  the  cardinals 
were  almost  filled.  They  appeared  not  in  their 
scarlet  garments,  but  in  their  violet  mourning-suits 
and  capes  of  ermine.  The  Monsignori,  who  took 
position  behind  their  Eminences,  were  not  dressed 
in  their  festive  garments,  but  in  mourning.  On  both 
sides  of  the  catafalque  stood  a  detachment  of  the 


CARDINAL  DI  TIETRO. 


Noble  Guard  in  military  attitude  ;  whilst  the  Swiss 
Guard,  under  the  command  of  their  leader,  the 
Baron  Sonnenberg,  formed  their  lines  from  the 
entrance  to  the  balustrade.  General  Kansler,  the 
hero  of  Mentana,  represented,  among  the  Roman 
nobility  those  magnanimous  and  zealous  men  who 
had  hastened  to  Rome  from  all  countries,  ready  to 
hazard  their  lives  for  the  father  of  Christendom. 


92 


A  SKETCH  OP'  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


Outside  the  balustrade,  which  divides  the  Sixtine 
Chapel,  the  diplomatic  corps  took  the  seats  on  the 
left,  whilst  the  ladies  of  the  Roman  nobility  occupied 
those  on  the  right. 

The  funeral  service  began.  His  Eminence  Car¬ 
dinal  Di  Pietro,  was  the  celebrant  of  the  mass.  The 


CARDINAL  SACCONI. 


choral  song  of  the  requiem  was  an  expression  of  gen¬ 
eral  mourning,  which  spread  itself  over  every  coun¬ 
tenance.  The  Dies  Iras  was  a  beautiful  composition 
of  the  director,  Mustafa,  magnificently  and  nobly 
executed,  and,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  faulty 
passages,  delivered  in  a  masterly  way.  The  sub¬ 
lime  words  of  the  Dies  Irae,  and  the  Last  Judg¬ 
ment,  painted  by  the  master  hand  of  Michael  Angelo 


THE  VATICAN  LIBKARY, 


Cage  93. 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


95 


as  an  altar-piece  ;  the  hopes  of  the  resurrection, 
which  sound  to  the  soul  amidst  the  harmonies,  and 
the  ceiling  of  the  Sixtine  Chapel,  with  Buonarotti’s 
preparation  for  the  resurrection — all  these  must  be 
seen  and  felt  :  words  can  not  describe  them.  The 
five  absolutions,  as  prescribed  for  the  obsequies  of 
the  pope,  were  pronounced  by  their  Eminences  the 
Cardinals  Di  Pietro,  Sacconi,  Guidi,  Bilio,  and 
Schwartzenberg. 

After  the  mass  the  cardinals  proceeded  to  the 
Consistorial  Hall,  to  receive  in  public  audience  the 
diplomatic  corps  accredited  to  the  Holy  See.  The 
ambassadors  of  Austria  and  of  Spain  had  the  honor 
of  precedence.  They  were  surrounded  by  the  entire 
body  of  their  attaches.  These  were  followed  by  the 
ministers  plenipotentiary  of  Bavaria,  Belgium,  Brazil, 
Costa  Rica,  and  Bolivia,  who  expressed  the  condol¬ 
ence  of  their  respective  governments  to  the  College 
of  Cardinals  on  the  decease  of  Pius  IX.  His  Emi¬ 
nence  Cardinal  Di  Pietro,  as  acting  dean  of  the 
Sacred  College,  in  the  name  of  his  colleagues  gave 
thanks  for  the  sincere  sympathy  which  the  repre¬ 
sented  nations  had  taken  in  the  general  mourning 
felt  for  the  loss  of  their  chief  pastor. 

In  the  afternoon  the  public  reading  of  the  last  will 
of  Pius  IX.  took  place  in  the  apartments  of  Cardinal 
Simeoni,  the  late  Secretary  of  State,  in  presence  of 
the  Cardinal  Camerlengo,  the  dean  of  the  apostolic 
protonotaries,  and  of  some  relatives  of  the  deceased 
pontiff.  It  comprises  twenty-eight  pages,  bears  the 
date  of  the  year  1875,  and  is  in  the  Pope’s  own  hand¬ 
writing.  Mgr.  Cenni  was  appointed  executor  of  his 
last  will. 

The  first  article  in  this  testament  regards  the 
place  of  interment  and  the  monument  : 


9 6  A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  FIUS  IX. 

“  My  body  shall  be  interred  in  the  Church  of  St.  Lorenzo,  out¬ 
side  the  walls,  under  the  arch  where  the  grating  protects  the 
stone  on  which  are  still  to  be  seen  the  marks  of  the  martyrdom 
of  the  Saint. 

The  expenses  of  the  tomb  shall  not  exceed  the  sum  of  four 
hundred  scudi.  ” 

Then  follows  the  direction  that  the  coat-of-arms 
on  the  monument  should  consist  of  the  Pope’s  insig¬ 
nia  and  a  death’s-head.  The  epitaph  which  the  holy 
father  wrote  with  his  own  hand  is  the  most  faithful 
copy  of  his  life.  It  is  simple,  humble  ;  and  if  nothing 
were  to  remain  for  coming  centuries  to  portray  the 
noble  character  of  Pius  IX.,  it  alone  would  be  suffi¬ 
cient  to  reveal  the  characteristics  of  his  life.  The 
epitaph  reads  as  follows  : 

Ossa  et  Cineres  Pii  P.  IX. 

Sum.  Pont.  Vixit.  Annos. 

In  Pontificatu  Ann. 

Orate  pro  Eo. 

The  mortal  remains  of  Pius  IX.,  Pope. 

He  lived - -  years  ;  as  Pope - . 

The  second  part  of  the  will  embraces  the  disposi¬ 
tions  concerning  alms,  to  be  distributed  at  his  death, 
as  also  the  revenues  of  the  future  pope.  To  the  poor 
in  Rome  he  left  a  sum  of  three  hundred  thousand 
francs,  and  to  the  officers  who,  by  the  fall  of  Rome,  lost 
the  necessaries  of  life,  and  had  remained  loyal  to  the 
pope,  he  left  a  fund  to  indemnify  them  for  their  loss. 
To  the  churches  with  which  he  had  been  connected 
during  life,  such  as  the  Vatican  and  Lateran  basilicas, 
the  collegiate  church  of  Sta.  Maria  in  Via  Lata,  the 
cathedrals  of  Imola,  Sinigaglia,  and  Gaeta,  he  gave 
especial  memorials.  The  persons  who  had  remained 
faithful  to  him  in  the  days  of  prosperity  as  well  as 
adversity  are  remembered  in  the  following  clauses  : 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


97 


“  I  bequeath  to  his  Royal  Highness  the  Count  de 
Chambord,  the  Madonna  del  Destino  in  mosaic.  To 
her  Royal  Highness  the  Duchess  of  Modena,  a  Ma¬ 
donna  in  mosaic.  To  Queen  Isabella  of  Spain,  the 
Crucifix  of  Lucca.  In  token  of  fatherly  benevo¬ 
lence,  I  leave  to  his  Majesty  the  King  of  Naples  a 
silver  group  representing  the  Holy  Family.  To  his 
Imperial  and  Royal  Highness  the  Grand  Duke  of 
Tuscany,  a  copy  of  Raphael,  with  silver  frame.  To 
his  Royal  Highness  the  Duke  of  Parma,  a  large 
miniature,  ‘  Sinite  parvulos.’  To  his  Royal  High¬ 
ness  Don  Alfonso  of  Bourbon,  formerly  a  pontifical 
zouave,  a  mother-of-pearl  representation  of  the  Res¬ 
urrection.  To  her  Highness  the  Princess  of  Thurn 
and  Taxis,  the  silver  cross  adorned  with  diamonds, 
with  two  angels  having  in  their  hands  the  symbols 
of  the  passion,  and  with  the  relic  of  the  holy  Cross.” 
In  the  third  and  last  part  of  his  testament  he  be¬ 
queathed  the  small  remnant  of  his  private  property 
to  his  relatives  in  Sinigaglia. 

Each  word  of  this  will  bears  witness  of  the  great 
soul  of  Pius  IX.  Even  in  death  he  wished  to  be 
buried  near  those  whom,  not  a  desire  of  vain  praise, 
but  the  power  of  conviction,  had  induced  to  take  up 
arms  and  to  fall  with  weapons  in  hand  at  the  Porta 
Pia  as  martys  of  the  papacy.  Even  in  death  his 
hand  could  find  no  rest  till  it  had  given  consola¬ 
tion  and  succor  to  his  favorite  children,  the  poor. 
Immediately  after  his  death,  the  sum  of  one  hundred 
thousand  francs  was  distributed  by  the  Cardinal- 
Vicar.  The  rest  of  the  bequest  was  distributed,  by 
the  agreement  of  the  cardinals,  among  the  different 
charitable  institutions  of  Rome  and  its  environs. 

The  same  funeral  services  described  above  were 
also  held  during  the  next  two  days,  the  16th  and  17th 


98 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  ITUS  IX. 


of  February,  in  the  same  chapel.  In  like  manner  the 
College  of  Cardinals  received  on  the  following  days 
the  ambassadors  and  plenipotentiaries  of  the  other 
powers  accredited  to  the  Holy  See. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


OFFICIAL  BIOGRAPHY  OF  THE  LATE  SOVEREIGN  PON¬ 
TIFF,  PIUS  THE  NINTH. 

The  following  is  the  official  record  of  the  life  of 
Pope  Pius  IX.,  prepared  by  Mgr.  Mercurelli,  Latin 
Secretary,  and  deposited  in  the  tomb  with  the  body 
of  the  deceased  pontiff  : 

Here  lies  the  body  of  Pius  IX.,  sovereign  pontiff. 
He  whose  body  reposes  here  was  born  on  the  13th  of 
May,  1792,  at  Sinigaglia,  and  was  the  fourth  son  born 
of  the  marriage  of  Count  Girolamo  Mastai-Ferretti 
and  the  Countess  Caterina  Solazzi.  He  was  baptized 
by  the  name  of  Giovanni-Maria.  He  was  taught  at 
first  in  the  Seminary  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Scuole 
Pie  in  Volterra,  and  afterwards  entered  on  more  ad¬ 
vanced  studies  in  Rome.  He  was  promoted  to  the 
priesthood  in  the  year  1819,  and  celebrated  his  first 
mass  on  Easter  Sunday  in  the  Church  of  the  Orphan 
Asylum  of  St.  Anne,  called  after  its  founder,  Tata 
Giovanni,  and  of  which  he  was  a  director.  After¬ 
wards  he  was  appointed  as  an  assistant  to  Bishop 
Giovanni  Muzi,  who  had  been  elected  delegate  and 
vicar  apostolic  for  Chili  and  the  other  countries  of 
South  America,  and  he  left  Rome  in  1823.  But  on 


IOO 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


his  return  in  1825  he  was  appointed  director  of  the 
Apostolic  Hospital  by  Leo  XII.,  of  holy  memory, 
and  two  years  later  was  preconized  and  consecrated 
Archbishop  of  Spoleto. 

He  was  endowed  with  all  the  qualities  of  an  excel¬ 
lent  bishop,  especially  those  of  charity  and  wisdom, 
and  gave  brilliant  examples  of  the  fact  when,  in  1831, 
he  was  invested  with  an  extraordinary  mission  to 
Spoleto  and  Perugia,  and  put  an  end  to  the  rebellion 
in  those  provinces  by  his  urbanity  and  by  aiding  the 
insurgents  to  quit  the  country  and  give  up  their 
arms,  which  he  sent  to  Rome.  Also  in  the  following 
year,  when  he  gave  himself  up  entirely  to  the  solace 
of  the  people  who  were  sorely  afflicted  by  the  fearful 
earthquake  in  Umbria.  His  remarkable  abilities  led 
Gregory  XVI.  to  believe  that  it  would  be  advisable 
to  transfer  him  to  the  See  of  Imola,  then  vacant,  and 
there  he  showed  himself  in  every  way  worthy  of  the 
pastoral  charge  entrusted  to  him.  He  was  the  first 
of  the  Italian  prelates  to  establish  canonically  in  his 
diocese  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith, 
and  to  spread  its  utility.  Among  other  proofs  of  his 
courage  and  episcopal  charity  he  gave  a  brilliant 
example  of  those  qualities  when  in  1846,  one  evening, 
as  he  was  engaged  in  prayer  in  the  cathedral,  he 
saved  single-handed  the  life  of  a  man  who  was  at¬ 
tacked  by  three  brigands.  The  same  pope  reserved 
him  in  petto  in  the  Consistory  of  the  23d  Decem¬ 
ber,  1839,  and  decorated  him  with  the  purple  on  the 
14th  December  of  the  following  year. 

When  he  was  informed  of  the  death  of  Gregory 
XVI.  he  at  once  went  to  Rome  to  take  part  in  the 
election  of  the  new  pontiff,  but  all  the  votes  were 
united  for  him  with  a  marvellous  promptitude,  and 
he  himself  was  elevated  to  the  chair  of  Peter.  How- 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


IOl 


ever,  the  enemies  of  religion  and  of  perfect  order 
soon  changed  into  mourning  the  joy  that  was  univer¬ 
sally  felt  at  the  announcement  of  such  an  unaccus¬ 
tomed  event,  and  arousing  a  revolt  they  surrounded 
the  Pope  in  such  a  way  that  it  was  with  difficulty,  and 
only  by  the  special  help  of  God,  that  he  was  enabled 
to  escape  from  their  hands  and  reach  Gaeta.  The 
King  of  Naples  received  him  there  with  many  marks 
of  courtesy  and  respect.  While  the  whole  Catholic 
universe  came  to  him  to  testify  their  feelings  of  ven¬ 
eration  and  to  lay  their  offerings  at  his  feet,  he  turned 
his  thoughts  to  the  evils  suffered  by  our  holy  relig¬ 
ion,  to  the  outraged  rights  of  the  Holy  See,  to  the  de¬ 
structive  errors  which  had  misled  the  nations  ;  and  in 
his  allocutions  and  apostolic  letters  he  bore  witness  to 
his  feelings  and  made  known  to  the  faithful  the  deplora¬ 
ble  state  of  religious  affairs,  implored  the  succor  of 
Catholic  princes,  and  laid  plainly  before  the  people  the 
real  nature  of  the  plans  designed  by  the  foes  of  the 
Church.  Besides  that,  he  set  about  re-establishing  in 
England  the  ecclesiastical  hierarchy,  which  had  for 
such  a  long  time  been  destroyed  ;  and  on  account  of 
his  wondrous  piety  towards  the  Mother  of  God  he 
announced  to  the  episcopate  that  he  had  ordered  re¬ 
searches  to  be  made  for  the  purpose  of  defining  her 
Immaculate  Conception,  and  he  asked  them  all  to 
pray  fdr  that  object  with  him,  and  to  inform  him  of 
the  traditions  on  the  point  which  obtained  in  their 
respective  countries. 

Brought  back  to  Rome  by  Christians,  amidst  the 
acclamations  of  the  city  and  of  the  whole  world,  he 
evinced  no  less  care  for  the  Eastern  Church  than 
for  the  Western.  As  in  1847,  he  had  already  re¬ 
established  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Latin  Patriarch  of 
Jerusalem,  and  in  the  following  year  had  confirmed 


102 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


the  election  of  a  Patriarch  of  Babylon  for  the  Chal¬ 
deans  ;  so  later  on  he  set  himself  with  an  indefati¬ 
gable  zeal  to  protect,  strengthen,  and  unite  the  East¬ 
ern  Churches,  torn  by  schisms,  disputes,  and  dissen¬ 
sions,  by  framing  new  rules  for  their  conduct,  by  in¬ 
creasing  the  number  of  bishops,  by  aiding  them  in  all 
manner  of  ways  through  his  liberality,  and  in  sending 
them  even  an  apostolic  delegate  and  a  legate  a  latere. 

Ide  left  nothing  undone  in  his  efforts  to  stay  the 
persecution  of  the  Catholic  religion  in  Russia,  or  at 
least  to  obtain  its  mitigation  either  by  the  conven¬ 
tions  which  he  proposed,  by  appeals  to  the  ministers 
of  that  empire,  by  public  protests,  by  special  letters 
to  the  emperor,  or  by  sending  delegates  to  him  ; 
while  during  all  this  time  he  never  ceased  to  defend 
and  support  the  Ruthenians  and  to  console  the  Poles. 
And  as  everywhere  religious  affairs  were  in  dire 
distress,  he  used  every  diligence  in  stipulating  with 
the  greater  part  of  the  heads  of  nations  for  conven¬ 
tions  by  which  the  rights  and  liberty  of  the  Church 
might  be  protected. 

He  never  ceased  from  exposing,  refuting,  and  con¬ 
demning  in  encyclical  letters,  allocutions,  public  dis¬ 
courses,  letters  to  bishops  or  private  persons,  the 
errors  which  are  the  cause  of  so  much  evil,  and  not¬ 
ably  the  machinations  of  the  freemasons.  He  pub¬ 
lished  the  celebrated  Syllabus,  which  will  remain  for¬ 
ever  to  crush  all  errors  ;  and,  finally,  he  convoked 
and  assembled  the  Oecumenical  Council,  so  that  by 
clearly  setting  forth  and  confirming  the  true  doctrine 
as  to  God,  the  Church,  and  the  authority  and  infalli¬ 
bility  of  the  sovereign  pontiff,  no  ground  would  be 
left  for  sophism. 

While  he  was  thus  engaged  in  the  struggle  against 
the  kingdom  of  Satan,  he  applied  himself  with  the 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


IO3 


same  zeal  to  spread  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  to  en¬ 
liven  the  faith  and  piety  of  Catholics,  and  to  furnish 
them  with  new  celestial  help.  He  re-established  the 
ecclesiastical  hierarchy  in  England  and  Holland, 
and  he  was  considering  its  restoration  in  Scotland 
when  he  became  the  prey  of  death.  He  sent  mis¬ 
sions  to  the  extremities  of  the  earth  ;  he  approved  of 
the  establishment  of  a  great  number  of  new  religious 
congregations  devoted  to  the  special  necessities  of 
the  people  ;  he  particularly  protected  the  Catholic  as¬ 
sociations  instituted  for  the  support  of  the  Church  and 
the  benefit  of  the  neighbor  ;  to  unite  more  closely 
the  universal  Church  to  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus, 
he  gave  it  St.  Joseph  as  patron  saint ;  among  the 
Christian  heroes  whose  acts  might  be  an  encourage¬ 
ment,  and  whose  patronage  might  be  an  assistance, 
he  inscribed  eleven  on  the  list  of  the  Blessed  and 
fift)r-two  on  the  list  of  the  Saints  ;  and,  finally,  he 
increased  confidence  in  the  Mother  of  God  and 
added  to  her  glories  by  the  dogmatic  definition  of 
her  Immaculate  Conception.  By  these  cares  he  ex¬ 
panded  the  Church  to  such  a  degree  that  he  had  to 
add,  to  those  already  existing,  twenty-nine  metropoli¬ 
tan  sees,  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  episcopal  sees, 
three  nullius  dicecescos,  three  apostolic  delegations, 
thirty-three  apostolic  vicariates,  and  fifteen  apostolic 
prefectures. 

Although  subject  to  a  hostile  domination,  he 
always  vigorously-defended  the  rights  of  the  Church  ; 
with  an  apostolic  liberty  he  censured  the  power¬ 
ful  for  their  sacrilegious  usurpation,  and  proclaim¬ 
ed  and  renewed  the  censures  which  he  pronounced 
against  them.  He  watched  over  the  splendor 
of  divine  worship,  and  rebuilt,  repaired,  and  orna¬ 
mented  the  temples  with  a  royal  magnificence,  or 
furnished  the  money  and  the  sacred  ornaments  for 


104  A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 

that  purpose  both  at  home  and  abroad.  He  pro¬ 
posed  a  new  Ratio  Studiorum  for  the  advancement 
of  true  science,  established  Catholic  universities, 
founded  colleges,  seminaries,  and  schools  ;  he  left 
everywhere  monuments  of  his  munificence,  and  so 
great  was  his  liberality  that  all  that  was  offered 
to  him  seemed  to  be  accepted  not  for  himself,  but 
for  others. 

As  he  combined  with  all  these  virtues  a  remark¬ 
able  gentleness  and  affability,  he  charmed  the  minds 
of  all  who  approached  him  in  a  manner  that  increased 
the  respect  and  devotion  due  to  the  Vicar  of  Jesus 
Christ,  until  developed  into  the  most  ardent  love. 
This  is  shown  by  the  addresses  offered  to  him,  by 
frequent  assemblages  of  pilgrims,  and  especially  the 
celebrations  in  the  jubilee  years  of  his  priesthood, 
his  episcopate,  and  his  pontificate,  which  furnished 
altogether  unusual  marks  of  the  filial  piety  and  warm 
affection  of  the  entire  Catholic  universe. 

Sole  among  the  popes,*  he  sat  in  the  chair  of  St. 
Peter  thirty-one  years,  seven  months,  twenty-two 
days.  He  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years,  on  the 
7th  of  February,  of  the  year  1878. 


*  Varying  Duration  of  Pontificates. — Three  popes  died  within  a 
day  or  two  after  their  election  and  before  they  were  consecrated  ;  eleven 
popes  reigned  less  than  one  month  each  ;  forty-four  less  than  one  year  ; 
twenty-one  less  than  two  years  ;  twenty-two  less  than  three  years  ;  nine¬ 
teen  less  than  four  years  ;  sixteen  less  than  five  years  ;  seventeen  less 
than  six  years  ;  nine  less  than  seven  years  ;  seven  less  than  eight  years  ; 
fifteen  less  than  nine  years  ;  twelve  less  than  ten  years  ;  fourteen  less  than 
eleven  years  ;  eleven  less  than  twelve  years  ;  nine  less  than  thirteen 
years  ;  six  less  than  fourteen  years  ;  seven  less  than  fifteen  years  ;  ten 
less  than  sixteen  years  ;  one  less  than  seventeen  years  ;  one  less  than 
eighteen  years  ;  six  less  than  nineteen  years  ;  three  less  than  twenty-one 
years  ;  three  less  than  twenty-two  years  ;  two  less  than  twenty-four 
years  ;  one  less  than  twenty-five  years  ;  and  two,  St.  Peter  and  Pius  IX. 
more  than  twenty-five  years — St.  Peter  reigning  as  pontiff  at  Rome  ex¬ 
actly  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  Pius  IX.  nearly  thirty-two  years 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

CRUX  DE  CRUCE. 

It  is  said  that  eight  hundred  years  before  his 
accession  to  the  papal  throne  Pius  IX.  was  styled 
“  Crux  de  Cruce.  ”  It  is  not  our  intention  to  deter¬ 
mine  whether  this  prophecy,  commonly  attributed  to 
St.  Malachy,  Bishop  of  Armagh,  is  genuine  or  not. 
What  we  wish  to  insist  upon  is  that  this  motto  finds 
a  most  striking  verification  in  the  life  of  the  late  sov¬ 
ereign  pontiff.  We  need  not  go  back  to  the  first 
days  of  his  pontificate,  when  the  revolutionary  party 
forced  him  to  leave  his  capital,  and  to  live  an  exile 
at  Gaeta.  We  need  not  recall  to  our  minds  the  faith¬ 
lessness  of  the  Piedmontese  in  1870,  nor  the  entry  of 
the  Italian  troops  through  the  breaches  of  Porta  Pia. 
All  worldly  possessions  had  no  value  for  Pius  IX. 
He  deemed  it  but  small  loss  to  be  deprived  of  a 
country  which  cost  him  so  much  trouble  and  anxiety. 
But  what  he  had  very  much  at  heart  was  the  welfare 
of  the  Church,  the  independence  of  the  Holy  See,  and 
the  upholding  of  sound  principles  in  faith  and  morals  : 
and  all  these  he  defended  ;  for  these  he  struggled  in 
such  a  manner  that,  even  when  overpowered  by  ma¬ 
terial  force,  when  compassed  round  about  by  false 
friends  or  declared  enemies,  he  made  use  of  the  only 


106  A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 

means  at  his  command — he  protested.  Upon  his 
banner  were  emblazoned  in  characters  of  gold  the 
words  :  “  Rights  divine  and  human  ;  rights  ecclesias¬ 
tical  and  civil.”  This  his  banner  he  held  with  a  firm 
grasp  ;  he  held  it  unfurled  and  steadfast  to  the  end. 
Pius  IX.  has  passed  away,  but  his  spirit  will  not  pass 
away. 

The  full  significance,  however,  of  the  words 
“  Crux  de  Cruce”  was  revealed  in  a  special 
manner  during  the  last  years  of  his  life.  Let  us 
imagine  for  a  moment  that  we  are  in  the  cabinet  of 
Pius  IX.,  and  that  we  hear  the  sad  tidings  as  they  are 
pouring  in  from  all  sides.  It  is  the  New  World 
which  first  engages  our  attention.  The  Empire  of 
Brazil  is  the  theatre  of  an  anti-Catholic  revolution. 
The  bishops  are  put  in  prison,  the  priests  are  sent 
into  exile,  for  no  other  reason  than  that  they 
proved  true  to  their  charge.  Adjacent  to  Brazil  is 
the  Republic  of  Ecuador.  This  country,  which, 
under  the  wise  and  beneficent  presidency  of  Garcia 
Moreno,  the  regenerator  of  his  native  land,  had  be¬ 
come  at  once  a  model  for  all  Christian  common¬ 
wealths  and  a  source  of  consolation  to  the  afflicted 
pontiff,  witnessed  a  reaction  at  once  anti-social  and 
anti-Christian.  The  illustrious  president  falls  a  vic¬ 
tim  to  the  dagger  of  an  assassin.  And  the  same 
powers — the  secret  societies — which  had  directed  the 
arm  of  the  parricide,  found  means  to  pour  poison 
into  the  chalice  of  the  Archbishop  of  Quito  while  he 
celebrated  the  holy  mysteries,  thereby  renewing  a 
crime  which  for  centuries  had  remained  without  an 
example  among  civilized  nations.  Who  could  pic¬ 
ture  to  himself  the  grief  of  the  aged  pope  when  he 
saav  that  the  seed  of  civilization  and  piety,  which 
these  two  champions  of  the  faith  had  sown  with  so 


iiiiiiihiii.iiimiiii.  i _ ,,i  ,i'  niihiniiiiiii  iiiiininnmmntrrf^"^mji>'  ||MMmiiiiiiii"i,Mliu^—L-rmTTTiiiiiiiiiiiiin(uiMiii*ijimimii‘iii,  iimitni  lum' 


Page  107 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


IO9 


much  labor,  was  rooted  up  and  destroyed  ;  when  he 
saw  that  the  faithful  clergy  were  driven  from  their 
flocks,  and  that  the  schools  were  either  deserted  or 
turned  into  nurseries  of  infidelity  and  lawlessness? 
Even  in  the  great  and  free  States  of  North  America 
much  was  done  which  might  fill  the  heart  of  Pius 
IX.  with  sorrow,  and  might  add  to  his  cup  of  bitter¬ 
ness.  True  it  is  that  as  yet  no  decided  step  has 
been  taken  against  the  Church.  Still  there  was  the 
danger  to  be  feared  from  the  public-school  system, 
a  standing  evil,  and  had  there  not  been  a  change 
for  the  better,  the  peace  of  the  Church  might 
have  been  threatened.  However,  it  cannot  be  de¬ 
nied  that  the  events  which  most  afflicted  the  Vicar 
of  Christ  took  place  in  the  Old  World. 

How  many  and  how  cruel  were  the  persecutions  to 
which  the  Church  was  subjected  throughout  the  vast 
territories  of  Asia.  On  reading  the  relations  of  the 
missionaries,  reaching  us  from  Siam,  from  China 
proper,  from  Japan,  from  Cochin  China,  Corea, 
and  Thibet,  we  are  reminded  of  the  bloody  edicts  of 
Nero  and  of  the  devastations  of  the  Huns  and  the 
Tartars.  Hardly  had  the  blood  of  martyrs  ceased  to 
flow  in  one  country  when  it  began  to  be  shed  with 
renewed  cruelty  in  another.  The  bishops  were 
separated  from  their  clergy,  the  priests  were  torn 
away  from  their  flocks,  whole  villages  were  de¬ 
stroyed,  entire  districts  were  ravaged  in  such  a  man¬ 
ner  that  they  retained  not  even  so  much  as  a  trace  ol 
Christianity.  The  path  of  the  Catholic  missionaries 
has,  indeed,  at  all  times  been  marked  with  blood. 
They  go  forth  to  pagan  countries  like  so  many 
generals,  sent  by  their  king,  the  pope,  to  make  con¬ 
quests  for  Christ  and  His  Church.  The  blood  which 
they  shed  is  not  that  which  makes  orphans  and  wid- 


I  IO 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


ows  ;  but  it  is  their  own,  which,  in  imitation  of  their 
Master,  they  give  for  the  salvation  of  those  that  perse¬ 
cute  them.  Is  it  possible  that  the  pope  could  hear  all 
this  and  remain  unmoved  ?  Could  he  see  his  chil¬ 
dren  in  poverty,  in  anguish,  in  torments,  without 
suffering  with  them  ? 

Turning  our  eyes  to  Europe  we  find  that  the  war¬ 
fare  waged  against  the  Church  in  that  part  of  the 
world  was  indeed  less  cruel,  but  far  more  perfidi¬ 
ous.  Fire  and  sword  were  not  put  into  requisition, 
but  what  is  worse — attempts  were  made  to  poison  the 
atmosphere  of  the  Church  itself,  to  make  the  practice 
of  Catholic  rites  an  offence  against  the  state,  and  thus 
to  bring  about,  under  the  specious  pretext  of  patriot¬ 
ism,  the  silent  but  gradual  and  inevitable  destruction 
of  the  Church.  There  is,  however,  one  country  in 
Europe  which  throughout  the  extent  of  its  immense 
territories  displayed  a  hatred  of  the  Church  worthy  of 
the  bitterest  tyrants  that  ever  persecuted  the  early 
Christians.  The  reader  understands  that  we  are 
speaking  of  Russia.  In  fact,  the  attitude  of  Russia 
towards  the  Church  exhibited  at  once  the  worst  traits 
of  Asiatic  barbarity  and  the  malicious  cunning  of 
the  more  refined  nations  of  Europe.  It  is  not  an 
easy  thing  for  us  to  imagine  the  heart-rending 
grief  which  filled  the  noble  pontiff  at  the  sight  of  the 
outrages  perpetrated  upon  the  unoffending  Poles  by 
the  cruel  officials  and  the  barbarous  soldiery  of  the 
Czar.  Not  only  were  the  bishops  exiled  to  Siberia, 
and  the  priests  either  expelled  from  their  parishes  or 
incarcerated,  but  also  the  faithful  were  visited  with 
all  sorts  of  molestations,  and  tormented  even  unto 
death.  The  scenes  which  but  a  few  months  ago 
were  enacted  in  Poland  are  of  such  a  nature,  that 
while  they  make  us  shudder  with  terror  they  at  the 


A  SKETCH  OF  TIIE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX.  Ill 

same  time  recall  to  our  minds  the  worst  days  of  a 
Nero  or  of  a  Taikusama.  But  let  us  take  an  example. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  village  of  N - are  assembled 

in  their  parish  church  to  assist  at  divine  service.  On 
leaving  the  sanctuary  they  are  attacked  by  a  ruth¬ 
less  soldiery,  who  had  stealthily  come  up  and  posted 
themselves  in  the  neighborhood.  The  people  were  not 
allowed  to  pass  on,  and  only  after  all  had  left  the 
church  they  were  called  upon,  in  the  name  of  the 
Czar,  to  apostatize  from  the  faith  of  their  fathers. 
Great  favors  were  promised  to  those  who  would  com¬ 
ply  with  the  imperial  mandate.  But  all  this  proved 
useless,  the  villagers  one  and  all  crying  out  that 
they  would  cling  to  their  Catholic  faith.  Thereupon 
a  scene  ensued  which  we  would  fain  pass  over  in 
silence.  The  Cossacks,  mounted  upon  their  wild 
horses,  pranced  in  upon  the  people,  and,  without  dis¬ 
tinction  of  age  or  sex,  lashed  them  with  the  knout  and 
cut  them  with  lances,  and  amid  the  wails  of  the 
wounded  and  the  dying  shot  them  down  in  great 
numbers.  This  tragedy  was  repeated  in  many  other 
places  with  the  same  unheard-of  cruelty  on  the  part 
of  the  Russians,  and  with  the  same  heroism  on  the 
part  of  the  Poles. 

In  Germany  the  contest  against  the  Church  as¬ 
sumed  a  different  character.  There  is  in  our  time 
perhaps  no  country  besides  Northern  Germany  in 
which  the  Catholic  Church  had  so  rapidly  developed 
all  her  powers,  and  had  displayed  in  so  striking  a 
manner  the  divine  efficacy  of  her  organization.  In¬ 
stitutions  for  the  Catholic  education  of  the  higher 
classes  were  springing  up  on  all  sides  ;  the  parish 
schools  in  the  cities,  as  well  as  in  the  rural  districts, 
were  conducted  in  so  satisfactory  a  manner  that  more 
than  once  they  elicited  the  highest  praises  from  the 


1 12 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


lips  of  the  Holy  Father  himself.  Societies  for  the  relief 
of  the  poor  were  in  great  numbers.  The  young  men 
of  the  laboring  classes  found  in  the  admirable  organi¬ 
zation  of  the  Kolping-  Verein  both  a  means  to  recreate 
themselves  agreeably  and  innocently  and  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  perfect  themselves  in  learning.  The  Cen- 
tral-Verein,  too,  was  attended  with  the  most  happy 
results.  The  meetings  of  this  association,  which 
lasted  for  a  whole  week,  were  held  yearly  in  one  of 
the  large  cities  of  Germany.  There  you  might  see, 
side  by  side,  the  bishop  and  the  layman,  the  noble¬ 
man  and  the  plebeian,  the  philosopher  and  the  artisan. 
How  much  soever  these  persons  might  differ  in  edu¬ 
cation,  in  social  standing,  in  the  pursuits  of  life,  they 
were  united  and  equal  in  the  communion  of  their 
faith.  In  these  assemblies,  popular  in  the  best  sense 
of  the  word,  the  poor  had  an  opportunity  to  make 
known  their  wants,  the  clergy  to  remind  the  laity  of 
their  duties,  and  all  could  learn  what  rights  they  had 
to  claim  and  what  good  works  they  had  to  perform. 

The  venerable  pontiff  was  doomed  to  see  all  this 
either  destroyed  or  changed  in  so  far  from  its  origi¬ 
nal  purpose  as  to  be  incapable  of  producing  any  good 
fruits.  The  convents  were  suppressed  one  by  one, 
and  their  inmates,  models  of  edification  and  piety, 
were  obliged  to  shake  the  dust  of  their  native  land 
from  their  feet,  and  to  eat  in  tears  the  bread  of  exile. 
The  aged  Pope  lived  to  see  many  bishops  driven  from 
their  sees  and  wandering  about  in  strange  lands  ;  he 
himself  offered  shelter  and  hospitality  to  several  of 
them,  that  he  might  learn  from  their  own  lips  the 
sad  story  of  the  destruction  wrought  in  their  once 
flourishing  dioceses.  To  enumerate  all  the  cases 
in  which  both  priests  and  laymen,  because  of  their 
unswerving  attachment  to  Rome,  were  sentenced  to 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX.  I  1 3 

pay  heavy  fines,  or  to  lie  like  felons  in  the  prisons  of 
the  state,  were  indeed  a  difficult  task. 

And  yet  this  was  not  all  ;  still  greater  evils  were 
in  store  for  Pius  IX.  Attempts  were  made  to  divide 
the  seamless  garment  of  Christ.  A  new  heresy, 
abetted  by  an  infidel  government,  sprang  up  in  Ger¬ 
many.  Doellinger,  together  with  his  party  of  priests 
and  of  proud  laymen,  rebelled  against  the  voice  of 
the  pope  and  of  the  general  council,  by  rejecting  the 
dogma  of  Papal  Infallibility.  The  prevaricators 
were  few  in  number,  and  in  face  of  the  loyalty 
to  the  Church  displayed  by  the  Catholics  all  over 
the  world,  their  influence  melted  away  like  snow 
before  the  rays  of  the  sun  ;  still  it  cannot  be  denied 
that  one  drop  of  poison  of  this  kind  is  enough  to  turn 
the  whole  contents  of  the  cup  into  wormwood. 

Germany,  however,  was  not  to  stand  alone  in  the 
sad  renown  of  attempting  to  create  a  schism.  If 
Germany  had  her  Doellinger,  France  had  her  Loy- 
son,  Italy  her  Curci,  and  Switzerland  her  schismatic 
parish  priests. 

Where  was  there  during  the  last  years  of  the  late 
pontificate  any  country  from  which  news  of  the  most 
distressing  nature  did  not  again  and  again  reach  the 
Eternal  City  ?  Even  if  we  were  to  make  abstraction 
from  the  world  at  large,  and  confine  ourselves  to  the 
examination  of  Rome  and  its  neighborhood,  we 
should  still  find  much  to  move  a  heart  less  delicate 
and  sensitive  than  that  of  Pius  IX.  From  the  height 
of  the  Vatican  palace  he  might  see  the  devastation 
wrought  in  the  Eternal  City  ;  he  might  see  religious 
men  and  women  turned  upon  the  streets,  while  their 
monasteries  were  changed  into  barracks  or  trans¬ 
formed  into  stables  ;  he  might  see  many  a  pious  foun¬ 
dation  that  had  developed  itself  with  the  rise  and  the 


1 14  A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 

growth  of  Rome  sold  publicly  at  auction  ;  he  might 
see  many  a  beautiful  church  razed  to  the  ground, 
while  on  the  other  hand  lawlessness  and  irreligion 
and  open  blasphemy  were  taught  as  well  in  the 
school-room  and  public  assembly  as  by  the  infidel 
press  of  the  day.  There  stood  in  the  centre  of  the 
Coliseum,  that  silent  monument  of  pagan  cruelty  and 
of  Christian  heroism,  a  simple  wooden  cross,  which 
for  generations  had  been  venerated  alike  by  the  in¬ 
habitants  of  Rome  and  by  the  pilgrims  from  distant 
lands.  This  touching  emblem  of  the  Crucified  was  re¬ 
moved  under  the  very  eyes  of  the  pope  and  replaced 
by  the  statue  of  some  revolutionary  hero.  And  what 
was  the  Pope  himself  but  a  prisoner  in  his  own  pal¬ 
ace  ?  There  existed,  it  is  true,  the  law  of  guaran¬ 
tees,  so  called,  protecting  the  Pope  against  any  per¬ 
sonal  insults.  This  law,  however,  inspired  the  pope 
with  as  little  confidence  as  the  power  from  which  it 
emanated.  Might  not  the  same  government  which 
had  made  void  so  many  treaties  and  had  broken  so 
many  promises,  annul  this  one  too  under  any  spe¬ 
cious  pretext  and  for  any  purpose  ? 

Being,  therefore,  perfectly  conversant  with  the 
aims  and  tendencies  of  the  revolution,  and  knowing 
that  no  compromise  on  eligible  grounds  could  ever 
be  effected  between  the  Church  and  the  Italian  Gov¬ 
ernment,  he  stood,  like  the  prophet  of  old,  upon  the 
watch-tower  of  the  Lord,  protesting  by  day  and  cry¬ 
ing  out  by  night  against  the  impious  measures  of  the 
usurper. 

Is  it  not  true,  then,  to  say  that  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  Pope’s  life  one  cross  followed  fast  upon 
another  ?  But  as  divine  providence  gave  our  de, 
parted  pontiff  so  large  a  share  in  the  ignominy  of  the 
cross,  it  bestowed  on  him  an  equal  share  in  its  glory. 


A  SKETCH  OF  TIIE  LIFE  OF  TIUS  IX.  1 1 7 

For  in  ages  past  it  had  been  foretold  that  the  cross 
would  be  a  sign  not  only  of  shame  and  of  death,  but 
also  of  salvation.  Even  the  penitent  thief  caught  a 
glimpse  of  that  glory,  and  at  the  sight  of  it  he  begged 
to  be  admitted  into  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  The 
soldier  who  pierced  the  heart  of  Jesus  with  a  lance 
recognized  the  hidden  virtue  of  the  cross,  and  being 
won  over  to  it  he  became,  as  tradition  tells  us,  a  bishop 
of  the  Church,  and  died  the  death  of  a  martyr.  The 
centurion  who,  at  the  death  of  Christ,  stood  over 
against  the  cross,  understood,  at  least  to  some  extent, 
the  mysterious  greatness  of  the  Crucified  One,  and 
exclaimed  :  “  Truly,  this  man  is  the  Son  of  God.” 

Throughout  the  pontificate  of  Pius  IX.,  and  more 
especially  in  the  latter  years  of  its  duration,  this 
glory  of  the  cross  was  manifested  in  a  most  striking 
manner.  What  man  of  our  age  is  there  who  dares 
say  that  he  received  at  the  hands  of  his  contempora¬ 
ries  as  many  tokens  of  love,  respect,  and  veneration 
as  Pius  IX.  ?  How  often  was  it  that  by  one 
kind  word  falling  from  his  lips,  by  one  affectionate 
smile  of  his  countenance,  the  most  hardened  sinners 
were  converted  !  More  than  once  it  happened  that 
one  conversation  was  sufficient  for  him  to  change  his 
bitterest  enemy  into  his  warmest  friend.  Time  and 
again  a  single  look  of  his  mild  eye  was  enough  to  win 
back  the  erring  to  the  path  of  duty  and  to  the  light  of 
faith. 

While  the  enemies  of  the  Church  did  all  in  their 
power  to  prepare  new  difficulties  for  the  Holy  Father, 
the  children  of  the  Church  were  not  less  ready  on  all 
occasions  to  give  him  new  marks  of  love  and  affec¬ 
tion. 

Under  his  pontificate  many  tribes  and  nations 
hitherto  strangers  to  Christianity  were  received  into 


1 1 8  A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 

the  bosom  of  the  Church.  The  Catholic  nations 
themselves  experienced  a  revival  of  faith  and  piety 
worthy  of  the  first  ages  of  the  Church,  and  they 
manifested  so  firm  an  attachment  to  the  See  of  Peter 
that  all  the  machinations  of  crafty  statesmen  and  all 
the  seductions  of  infidel  governments  were  unable  to 
lessen  it. 

No  day  commemorative  of  any  important  event  in 
the  life  of  the  Pope  was  allowed  to  pass  without  being 
celebrated  by  the  faithful  with  all  the  outbursts  of 
joy  becoming  the  sentiments  of  loyal  subjects  to  their 
ruler  or  of  dutiful  children  to  their  father.  Many 
occasions  of  this  kind  offered  themselves.  Almighty 
God  had  permitted  the  man  whom  he  loved  to  live 
to  an  age  but  rarely  equalled  by  a  successor  of  St. 
Peter.  Among  the  popes,  Pius  IX.  was  the  only 
one  in  whom  the  well-known  saying,  “  Non  videbis 
annos  Petri  ” — Thou  shalt  not  see  the  years  of  Peter” 
-—was  not  verified.  This  long  life  gave  occa¬ 
sion  to  the  many  feasts  solemnized  in  his  honor. 
There  was  first  the  celebration  of  his  ordination  to 
the  priesthood,  then  of  his  elevation  to  the  episcopal 
dignity,  and  later  on  that  of  his  promotion  to  the 
papal  throne.  When  his  election  to  the  See  of  Peter 
was  celebrated  the  pilgrims  flocked  to  Rome  from 
all  parts  of  the  world,  unmindful  of  a  raging  sea,  of 
dreary  wastes,  of  dangerous  precipices.  And  they 
deemed  themselves  richly  rewarded  if,  after  all  their 
toils,  they  could  but  behold  the  face  of  the  aged  pon¬ 
tiff,  listen  to  the  sweet  accents  of  his  voice,  and,  in 
parting,  receive  his  blessing.  Where  is  there,  in  the 
whole  range  of  history,  a  man,  an  earthly  prince,  of 
whom  it  is  said  that  the  eagerness  of  seeing  him  was 
so  great  among  the  men  of  his  age,  that  they  flocked 
to  his  capital,  not  only  from  every  country  of  Eu- 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX.  1 19 

rope,  but  also  from  the  sands  of  the  Sahara,  from  the 
pampas  of  the  New  World,  from  the  region  lying 
beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains,  from  the  banks  of  the 
Ganges,  and  from  the  isles  of  Japan?  Did  these  pil¬ 
grims  come  to  see  a  prince  who  equalled  Solomon  in 
splendor  or  Augustus  in  power  ?  Did  they  come  to 
obtain  rich  benefices  or  to  be  raised  to  lucrative 
positions  ?  No,  they  came  to  see  an  aged  man  who 
had  no  kingdom,  who  lived  in  his  palace  more  like  a 
prisoner  than  a  sovereign.  Him  they  came  to  see 
and  to  honor,  and  to  him  they  offered  their  presents 
as  the  tribute  of  their  undying  love  for  the  Vicar  of 
Christ.  This  loyalty  of  Catholics  to  Pius  IX.  is  a 
jewel  in  his  crown  which  many  a  powerful  king  might 
envy. 

Nor  was  the  Pope  insensible  to  the  generosity  of 
his  faithful  subjects.  Many  of  his  allocutions  bear 
witness  to  the  fact,  and  we  Catholics  of  the  present 
age  may  feel  an  honest  pride  in  having  done  so 
much  to  sweeten  the  last  years  of  his  checkered  life. 
He  told  us  repeatedly  not  to  be  anxious  about  the 
future,  nor  to  wish  for  the  triumph  of  the  Church — 
that  is  to  say,  for  a  triumph  consisting  in  great  ma¬ 
terial  power,  in  unequalled  renown  for  refinement  ; 
because  we  are  already  celebrating  a  most  beau¬ 
tiful  triumph,  to  wit,  an  increase  of  piety  throughout 
the  entire  body  of  the  Church,  and  an  intimacy  and 
union  between  the  pastors  and  the  people  worthy  of 
the  first  ages  of  Christianity. 

God,  who  disposes  all  things  well,  had  inspired 
the  Catholics  of  some  countries,  in  which  the  very 
existence  of  their  faith  was  greatly  endangered,  with 
a  manly  courage  and  a  spirit  of  unyielding  firmness. 
And  this,  too,  was  a  great  source  of  happiness.  Thus 
Belgium,  for  a  long  time  fettered  by  a  masonic  legis- 


120 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  PIUS  IX. 


lation,  roused  herself  to  action  and  asserted  her  relig¬ 
ious  independence.  The  Catholics  of  Holland,  who 
had  lived  for  a  long  time  in  a  kind  of  religious  bond¬ 
age,  succeeded  in  redeeming  both  their  political  and 
their  religious  freedom.  Denmark  and  Sweden, 
after  the  lapse  of  three  centuries,  have  in  our  day 
for  the  first  time  thrown  open  their  territories  to  the 
zeal  of  the  Catholic  missionary.  England,  Protes¬ 
tant  England,  witnesses  to-day  a  religious  reaction 
which  bids  fair  to  bring  back  at  no  distant  period  the 
whole  nation  to  the  true  fold  of  Christ.  Not  less 
remarkable,  as  even  Protestants  will  admit,  is  the 
progress  made  by  the  Catholic  Church  within  the 
last  quarter  of  a  century  in  our  own  country.  Was 
not  the  knowledge  of  all  this  like  a  healing  balm 
instilled  into  the  heart  of  the  much-afflicted  pontiff  ? 

Death,  which  ends  all,  has  also  put  an  end  to  his 
many  sufferings,  but  not  till  he  had  drained  the  cup 
of  bitterness  to  the  dregs.  He  is  now  with  the  blessed 
in  heaven,  and  his  tiara  is  replaced  by  a  crown  of 
glory.  How  clearly  he  now  understands  both  what 
he  suffered  and  why  he  suffered  !  He  understands 
the  wonderful  ways  by  which  God  leads  His  Church, 
and  he  sees  in  many  things,  in  which  our  troubled 
gaze  perceives  only  the  wickedness  of  men,  the 
very  wisdom  and  glory  of  the  Most  High.  Let 
us,  while  fondly  and  sadly  perusing  the  pages  of 
his  life,  not  forget  to  thank  God  for  having  given  to 
our  departed  Father  at  once  a  measure  of  suffer¬ 
ing  and  a  measure  of  joy,  full,  shaken  down,  and 
overflowing. 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE  ORIGIN  AND  LAWS 
OF  THE  CONCLAVE. 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  CATHOLIC  HIERARCHY. 


cr 

OUBTLESS  the 
work  of  our  Divine 
Redeemer  would 
have  in  time  been 
forgotten  had  not 
He  before  He  as¬ 
cended  into  heaven, 
there  to  sit  for  all 
time  at  the  right 
hand  of  His  Father, 
founded  a  Church,  which  was  to  perpetuate  among 
men  the  memory  of  His  passion  and  death.  Without 
such  an  institution  there  would  have  remained  on 
earth  a  mere  tradition  of  a  man  who  during  the  reign 
of  the  Emperor  Augustus  lived  in  Judea,  who 
claimed  to  be  the  Son  cf  God,  and  who  made  good 


124 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


His  word  by  many  miracles.  This  tradition  would 
have  informed  us  that  Christ,  on  account  of  His 
strange  doctrine,  fell  a  victim  to  the  jealousy  ol  His 
enemies,  and  that  He  finished  His  life  by  dying  the 
death  of  the  cross.  Relying  on  the  same  tradition, 
we  should  have  held  the  opinion  that  Christ  wished  to 
bring  our  race  back  to  the  state  from  which  it  had  fall¬ 
en,  and  that  He  pointed  out  the  way  by  which  the  re¬ 
conciliation  between  God  and  man  could  be  effected. 

By  degrees,  however,  the  tradition  would  have 
been  obscured,  and  before  the  lapse  of  many  centuries 
it  would  have  been  impossible  for  the  human  under¬ 
standing  to  know  where  truth  ended  and  error  began. 

The  history  of  the  Jewish  people  furnishes  us 
with  a  strong  proof  in  favor  of  our  hypothesis.  For 
although  the  religious  and  the  political  institutions 
of  the  Israelites  differed  widely  from  those  of  other 
nations,  and  although  the  Hebrews  had  but  little  in¬ 
tercourse  with  the  Gentiles,  and  among  them  the 
stream  of  tradition  was  more  faithfully  transmitted 
from  father  to  son  than  among  the  European  nations, 
nevertheless  the  entire  history  of  the  Jews  is  noth¬ 
ing  but  a  continued  record  of  their  violations  of  the 
divine  law.  And  as  God  wished  that  the  light  of  the 
true  faith  should  never  be  extinguished  among  them, 
He  had  frequent  recourse  to  extraordinary  means  : 
now  by  raising  up  a  prophet  whom  He  endowed  with 
supernatural  powers  ;  now  by  visiting  them  with 
terrible  calamities,  from  which  there  was  neither 
escape  nor  relief  except  in  their  sincere  return  to  the 
covenant  of  the  Lord. 

The  same  phenomenon  would  no  doubt  have  re¬ 
peated  itself  among  the  European  nations,  especially 
as  the  benefits  of  the  redemption  were  to  be  be¬ 
stowed  not  only  on  one  nation,  but  on  all  nations, 
and  this,  too,  regardless  of  clime  and  national  preju- 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


125 


dices.  It  cannot  be  denied,  on  the  other  hand,  that, 
independently  of  a  visible  Church,  God,  by  way  of 
miracle,  might  have  communicated  to  every  person 
in  particular  the  grace  of  redemption  and  of  salvation. 
God,  however,  does  not  govern  mankind  in  general 
and  every  individual  in  particular  in  a  miraculous 
manner  ;  He  rather  wishes  to  manifest  Himself  to  all 
in  a  way  agreeable  to  His  ordinary  providence.  For 
it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  no  miracles  are 
wrought  or  even  necessary  to  preserve  and  to  ex¬ 
plain  the  truths  of  our  religion,  but  only  to  prove  to 
the  heathen  of  all  lands  that  the  Church  is  endowed 
with  divine  authority. 

If,  therefore,  it  was  the  will  of  Almighty  God 
that  the  work  of  our  redemption  should  be  both 
beautiful  in  theory  and  useful  in  practice,  it  was  ab¬ 
solutely  necessary  for  Him  to  form  a  society,  divine 
as  to  the  end  intended,  human  as  to  its  members  and 
ministers,  in  order  that  all  men  might  possess  and 
might  know  that  they  possess  the  truth.  That  this 
society,  this  kingdom  of  God,  may  not  fail  of  its  end, 
the  salvation  of  all,  it  must  of  necessity  be  a  visible 
kingdom,  the  laws  of  which  are  sanctioned  by  the 
Creator  Himself. 

This  kingdom  of  Christ  is  the  Catholic  Church, 
and  as  every  commonwealth  must  have  powers  leg¬ 
islative,  judicial,  and  executive,  so  also  has  the  Chris¬ 
tian  commonwealth  ;  and  all  these  powers  taken  col¬ 
lectively,  or  rather  all  the  persons  in  whom  these 
powers  reside,  form  the  Ecclesiastical  Hierarchy. 

The  constitution  of  the  Church  is  not  of  to-day  nor 
of  yesterday.  It  has  stood  the  test  of  ages.  Many 
are  the  men  who  at  returning  periods  would  fain 
have  made  amendments  to  it,  would  have  changed  it, 
or  destroyed  it  altogether.  At  one  time  they  alleged 
for  their  fondness  of  innovation  that  the  truths  of 


126 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


salvation  were  not  transmitted  in  their  pristine 
purity  ;  at  another  they  claimed  that  there  should 
not  be  any  distinction  among  the  members  of  the 
Church,  but  that  all  should  be  considered  as  priests  ; 
or,  again,  they  denied  the  existence  of  Christ’s  visi¬ 
ble  kingdom  on  earth. 

We  readily  admit  that  if  these  men  had  received 
power  to  fashion  out  a  church  after  their  own  fan¬ 
cies  they  would  have  given  it  a  constitution  far 
different  from  that  which  Christ  has  given  to  His 
Church.  But  if,  on  the  other  hand,  we  study  the 
pages  of  history  we  begin  to  doubt  whether  these 
would-be  improvers  upon  the  divine  work  would  in 
reality  have  succeeded  in  their  undertaking.  Many 
of  them,  with  the  permission  of  God,  were  successful 
enough  to  carry  their  plans  into  execution.  But 
history,  again,  tells  us  that  they  came  into  existence, 
that  for  a  time  they  put  the  minds  of  men  in  com¬ 
motion,  and  that  in  the  end  they  disappeared  like 
dreams.  The  Church,  on  the  other  hand,  like  the 
mustard-seed  of  the  Gospel,  was  constant  in  her 
growth  ;  and  to-day,  having  grown  into  a  mighty  tree, 
she  spreads  her  branches  over  the  whole  earth,  and 
is  constantly  adding  new  twigs,  new  blossoms,  and 
new  fruits.  The  roots  of  that  tree  go  down  to  pur¬ 
gatory,  while  its  crown,  which  pierces  the  skies, 
reaches  up  to  the  throne  of  God  ;  and  as  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord  rustles  through  its  dense  foliage,  the 
spirits  of  darkness,  on  the  one  hand,  shudder  with 
fear,  and  the  spirits  of  light,  on  the  other,  striking 
their  golden  lyres,  sing  the  rapturous  allelujahs  of 
heaven. 

But  the  testimony  of  history  is  hardly  neces¬ 
sary  to  show  the  institutions  of  the  Church  in  their 
true  light.  It  is  enough  for  us  to  know  that 
Christ  Himself  was  the  founder  of  the  Church, 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


127 


and  that  He  promised  to  send  to  His  apostles  the 
Paraclete,  who  would  instruct  them  in  all  truth, 
and  that  He  Himself  would  be  with  them  all  days, 
even  unto  the  consummation  of  the  world.  Who¬ 
ever  is  not  convinced  by  these  words — words  spoken 
by  the  Eternal  Truth  itself ;  whoever  does  not 
see  in  these  words,  and  in  others  that  are  still 
clearer,  and  which  we  intend  to  quote  later  on, 
the  intention  of  Christ  to  found  an  organization  like 
the  Church — must  be  one  of  those  proud  spirits 
who,  like  Lucifer,  would  place  his  throne  beside  the 
throne  of  God,  or  even  attempt  to  place  it  higher  ; 
and  should  such  a  one  persist  in  his  overweening 
pride,  what  wonder  if  his  fate  be  likened  to  the  fate 
of  him  who  before  the  creation  of  the  world  unfurled 
the  banner  of  rebellion  in  heaven  ! 

Although  it  were  time  lost,  as  we  have  said,  for 
the  faithful  to  enquire  how  the  constitution  of  the 
Church  might  have  been  framed  differently  by  Al¬ 
mighty  God,  still  it  cannot  be  denied  that  it  ought  to 
be  a  matter  of  interest  for  every  Catholic  to  have  a 
knowledge  of  the  working  of  the  present  hierar¬ 
chical  system.  And  let  it  be  observed  that  but  a  com¬ 
paratively  small  number  of  Catholics  have  this  know¬ 
ledge,  the  generality  knowing  little  more  than  the 
broad  outlines  of  the  system.  Thus  every  Catholic 
knows  that  the  parish  priest  has  jurisdiction  in  his 
parish,  the  bishop  over  the  whole  diocese,  and  that 
the  pope  is  the  ruler  of  all — of  the  priests  as  well  as 
of  laymen.  But  it  is  one  thing  merely  to  see  the 
stately  edifice  of  the  Church  from  the  outside,  as  it 
were,  and  another  to  understand  the  principles  of 
order  and  beauty  upon  which  it  is  constructed,  and 
by  which  it  is  enabled  to  outlast  the  storms  of  cen¬ 
turies  and  to  stand  before  us,  even  to-day,  in  all  its 


128 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


original  loveliness  and  perfection.  How  is  it  pos¬ 
sible  that  the  Church,  without  changing  her  in¬ 
terior  organization,  could  adapt  herself  to  all  ages, 
to  all  climes,  to  all  forms  of  government,  and  to  all 
nations  ;  in  other  words,  how  is  it  possible  for  the 
Church  to  be,  at  one  and  the  same  time,  the  hand¬ 
maid  of  all  by  ministering  to  the  spiritual  wants  of 
all,  and  the  queen  of  all  by  obliging  them  to  obey 
strictly  all  and  every  one  of  her  laws  ? 

Such  is  the  problem  which  we  intend  to  solve,  and 
we  are  ready  to  do  this  as  well  as  our  limited  abili¬ 
ties  and  the  narrow  compass  within  which  we  must 
necessarily  confine  ourselves  will  allow. 

Let  us  begin  with  the  founding  of  the  Church  by 
Christ.  Christ  had  sent  His  apostles  not  only  to  in¬ 
struct  men  in  the  truths  of  salvation,  but  also  to 
oblige  them  to  do  the  works  necessary  for  salvation. 
Hence  He  sent  His  apostles  not  only  as  preachers, 
but  also  as  rulers  and  as  ministers  of  the  sacraments. 
Now  as  the  Church  is  to  last  forever,  and  as  the 
apostles  were  to  live  but  for  a  limited  space  of 
time,  their  power  must  have  been  such  as  could  be 
transmitted  to  others  in  the  same  manner  in  which 
they  themselves  had  received  it  from  Christ.  Those 
who  did  receive  this  power  were  called  bishops  ;  nor 
can  any  one  to-day  claim  to  be  a  bishop  in  the  true 
sense  of  the  word  unless  he  can  prove  that  his  power 
was  transmitted  to  him  from  Christ  through  the 
apostles  by  an  uninterrupted  succession  of  bishops. 
There  are  no  bishops  in  the  Catholic  Church  who 
derive  their  jurisdiction  from  any  other  source,  and 
hence  all  Roman  Catholic  bishops  are  deservedly 
called  the  successors  of  the  apostles.  Theirs  it  is, 
and  theirs  alone,  to  govern  and  to  rule  the  Church  of 
Christ. 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


129 


But,  moreover,  there  never  existed  a  perfect 
equality  among-  the  apostles  themselves.  Christ  Him¬ 
self  made  a  distinction.  He  told  His  apostles  on  one 
occasion  that  Satan  had  desired  to  sift  them.  Now, 
this  permission  was  really  granted  to  the  evil  one, 
and  therefore  it  was  not  impossible  that  some  would 
not  stand  the  test.  History,  alas  !  proves  but  too 
well  that  many  a  time  this  possibility  became  a 
reality.  This  being  the  case,  it  follows  that  but  for 
an  admirable  provision  of  divine  Providence  in  be¬ 
half  of  the  Church,  it  might  have  happened  sooner  or 
later  that  such  a  confusion  of  ideas  would  have  taken 
place  among  the  faithful  as  to  make  it  utterly  im¬ 
possible  for  any  one  to  know  either  where  the  true 
Church  was,  or  what  graces  were  granted  to  the 
members  of  that  Church.  But  Christ  did  not  estab¬ 
lish  a  Church  which  was  to  be  tossed  about  by  the 
whirlwind  of  human  opinions.  He  therefore  chose 
one  man  on  whom  He  bestowed  the  gift  of  an  infalli¬ 
ble  faith,  and  that  man  was  Peter.  To  Peter  our  Lord 
said  :  “I  have  prayed  for  thee,  that  thy  faith  fail 
not.”  Hence,  as  far  as  faith  is  concerned,  Peter 
enjoyed  a  privilege  which  was  not  granted  to  the 
other  apostles.  But  as  the  powers  which  the  apos¬ 
tles  had  received  in  common  were  to  be  transmitted 
to  others,  so  also  the  power  with  which  Christ  dis¬ 
tinguished  Peter  from  among  his  brethren  was  to  be 
transmitted  to  his  successors  ;  so  that  if  at  any 
time  a  difficulty  arose  in  matters  of  faith  or  of  mor¬ 
als,  the  bishops,  as  well  as  the  priests  and  the  laymen, 
might  have  recourse  to  the  successor  of  St.  Peter, 
and  be  assured  that  the  answer  received  was,  by  vir¬ 
tue  of  the  words  of  Christ,  true  with  the  very  truth 
of  God,  infallible  with  the  very  infallibility  of  God. 

But  this  was  not  the  only  distinction  conferred 


130 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


upon  Peter  by  Christ.  It  was  not  the  intention  of 
the  Saviour  of  mankind  to  establish  twelve  Churches, 
devoid  of  any  other  connection  among  themselves 
than  the  source  from  which  all  might  if  they  wished 
draw  the  truths  of  faith.  Satan  by  dint  of  cunning 
would  very  soon  have  succeeded  in  changing  eleven 
of  these  Churches  into  false  ones,  which  in  their  turn 
would  have  combated  with  relentless  fury  against 
the  only  true  Church  of  Christ.  Our  Lord  prevented 
this  by  appointing  Peter  not  only  as  the  fountain  of 
faith,  but  also  as  the  source  of  all  jurisdiction.  The 
words  of  Christ  to  Peter  are  as  follows  :  “  And  thou 
confirm  thy  brethren.”  Christ  teaches  us  here  in 
express  terms  that  the  other  apostles  must  lean  upon 
Peter  not  only  for  perseverance  in  the  true  faith,  but 
also  for  obtaining  strength  sufficient  to  withstand  the 
attacks  of  their  enemies.  Nor  did  our  Lord  hide 
from  them  the  fact  that  at  times  all  the  powers  of 
darkness  would  rise  up  against  them,  and  that  in  such 
times  they  would  find  no  refuge,  no  security,  except 
by  leaning  upon  Peter,  by  believing  what  he  be¬ 
lieved,  by  doing  what  he  told  them  to  do.  The 
words  of  Christ  are  very  clear  on  this  point  :  “  Upon 
this  rock  I  will  build  my  Church,  and  the  gates  of 
hell  shall  not  prevail  against  her.”  Whoever  wishes, 
therefore,  to  remain  victorious  over  the  powers  of 
darkness  must  be  steadfast  in  his  union  with  the 
See  of  Peter.  Christ,  in  order  to  rouse  Peter  to  the 
sense  of  both  his  dignity  and  his  responsibility,  and 
also  to  impress  upon  his  brethren  the  true  char¬ 
acter  of  their  dependence  upon  Peter,  said  to  Peter 
in  plain  and  open  terms:  “  Feed  my  lambs,  feed  my 
sheep.”  These  words  reveal  to  us  the  plan  on  which 
Christ  wished  to  form  His  Church.  Peter  is  not 
only  a  source  of  truth  to  his  brethren,  but  also  a 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


131 

source  of  strength  ;  he  is  bound  to  watch  over  them, 
and  they  in  their  turn  are  obliged  to  hearken  to  his 
voice.  Peter  is  the  shepherd  alike  of  the  sheep  and 
of  the  lambs,  of  the  priests  and  bishops,  and  of  the 
laymen.  The  successors  of  the  other  apostles  are 
the  shepherds  of  their  respective  flocks.  Peter  is 
the  common  pastor  of  the  flocks  and  of  the  shepherds 
themselves. 

There  are  many  other  texts  in  Scripture  incul¬ 
cating,  if  possible  more  strongly,  the  same  doctrine. 
One  of  them,  referring  to  the  occasion  on  which 
Peter  was  first  called  to  be  an  apostle,  reads  thus  : 
“  Thou  art  Simon,  the  son  of  Jonas  ;  thou  shalt  be 
called  Cephas” — that  is,  the  rock  or  groundwork 
upon  which  the  whole  edifice  was  to  be  built.  At  a 
later  period  our  Lord  returns  to  this  idea  and  en¬ 
larges  upon  it,  saying  :  ”  To  thee  I  will  give  the  keys 
of  the  kingdom  of  heaven.”  Now,  he  that  has  con¬ 
trol  over  the  keys  is  the  master  of  the  house,  and 
as  Peter  holds  the  keys  of  Christ’s  household,  the 
Church,  Peter  must  needs  be  the  master  at  least  of 
the  visible  Church  of  Christ.  In  the  Apocalypse 
Christ  appears  to  St.  John  as  the  great  key-bearer  ; 
indicating  that  as  lie  Himself  holds  the  keys  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,  so  Peter  holds  the  same  keys 
upon  earth  in  the  quality  of  Christ’s  vicar. 

Such  is  the  original  constitution  which  Christ 
gave  to  1 1  is  Church  ;  the  same  it  is  still,  and  it  will 
last  to  the  end  of  time. 

So  far  we  have  not  made  any  mention  of  the 
seventy-two  disciples  whom  Christ  gave  as  help¬ 
mates  to  His  apostles.  Do  we  not  recognize  in  them 
the  type  of  the  inferior  degrees  of  the  clergy  ?  The 
apostles,  knowing  the  mind  of  their  Divine  Master 
better  than  any  others,  chose,  even  during  the  first 


i32 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


year  of  their  apostolical  ministry,  a  certain  number 
of  persons,  whom  they  ordained,  whom  they  called 
deacons,  and  to  whom  they  entrusted  certain  special 
offices.  There  existed  at  that  time  in  the  minds  of 
many  a  doubt  whether  the  heathens  before  receiving- 
baptism  should  be  circumcised  or  not.  The  apos¬ 
tles  met  in  Jerusalem  in  general  council,  and  after  a 
long  deliberation  Peter  stood  up  and,  in  virtue  of  his 
privilege  of  infallibility  in  matters  of  faith,  decided 
the  question,  and  the  controversy  was  at  an  end. 

That  Peter,  however,  might  have  acted  indepen¬ 
dently  of  the  council  appears  from  the  fact  that  he 
had  received  into  the  Church  the  centurion  Corne¬ 
lius,  without  obliging  him  to  submit  to  the  Jewish 
rite  of  circumcision. 

The  same  custom  which  had  obtained  in  the  days 
of  the  apostles  is  still  in  vigor.  Whenever,  owing  to 
the  perversity  of  heretics,  the  Church  finds  herself  in 
a  critical  position,  and  when  consequently  the  suc¬ 
cessor  of  St.  Peter  is  obliged  to  have  recourse  to  ex¬ 
traordinary  measures,  he  first  invites  the  successors 
of  the  other  apostles  to  meet  in  general  council,  and 
there  deliberates  with  them  as  to  what  enactments 
are  likely  to  prove  most  successful. 

The  pope  is  not  obliged  to  proceed  in  this  man¬ 
ner.  Independent  of  any  council,  the  pope  may  pro¬ 
nounce  upon  matters  of  faith,  and  be  as  assured  of 
speaking  in  accordance  with  the  eternal  Truth  as  if 
all  the  bishops  of  the  earth  had  been  unanimous  in 
the  same  doctrine.  But  as  other  questions  besides 
those  relating  to  matters  of  faith  and  morals  are 
to  be  discussed — such  as  ecclesiastical  institutions, 
changes  in  or  additions  to  the  laws  regulating  the 
external  affairs  of  the  Church — it  is  the  part  of  a  pru¬ 
dent  ruler,  before  he  gives  any  decision,  to  lend  an  at- 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


133 


tentive  ear  to  the  advice  of  good  and  experienced 
men.  The  popes  do  not  ride  after  the  manner  of 
tyrants,  who  make  laws  to-day  and  unmake  them 
to-morrow,  who  to-day  demand  of  their  subjects 
one  thing  and  to-morrow  oblige  them  to  the  oppo¬ 
site.  The  pope  was  made  the  ruler  of  all  for  no 
other  purpose  than  that  he  might  be  the  servant  of 
all.  He  first  makes  use  of  human  means  to  deter¬ 
mine  what  is  necessary  or  wholesome  to  the  flock  of 
Christ ;  and  only  then,  when  all  natural  resources 
have  proved  fruitless,  he  makes  use  of  supernatural 
ones,  being  firmly  convinced  that  the  assistance  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  will  not  permit  him  to  go  astray. 
Let  him  that  is  unwilling  to  believe  all  this,  study  the 
history  of  the  last  (Ecumenical  Council,  together  with 
its  happy  results,  notwithstanding  the  sad  forebodings 
of  statesmen  to  the  contrary. 

Concerning  the  organization  of  the  Church,  we 
have  already  mentioned  the  pope,  the  general  coun¬ 
cils,  and  the  apostles  or,  more  properly,  the  bish¬ 
ops,  the  priests,  and  the  deacons.  All  these  offices 
date  back  as  far  as  the  days  of  the  apostles.  Nay 
more,  even  at  that  early  period  the  foundation  was 
laid  for  that  admirable  division  of  the  Church  into 
patriarchates,  primacies,  archbishoprics,  bishoprics, 
and  parishes,  by  virtue  of  which  gradation  the  least 
member  of  the  Church  can  almost  as  easily  com¬ 
municate  with  the  head  of  Christendom  as  the  car¬ 
dinal  of  the  pontifical  palace  himself. 

Peter  and  the  other  apostles  were  sent  by  Christ 
to  convert  the  whole  world.  Each  one  might,  there¬ 
fore,  go  whithersoever  he  wished.  However,  it 
could  not  possibly  be  a  correct  interpretation  of 
Christ’s  will  if  each  of  them  had  chosen  at  random 
the  place  to  which  he  would  direct  his  steps,  so 


134 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


that  an  apostle  might  be  at  Rome  to-day  and  at 
Damascus  to-morrow,  thus  making  it  impossible  for 
his  flock  to  have  recourse  to  him  in  their  greatest 
needs.  But  the  apostles  acted  quite  differently.  Ac¬ 
cording  to  a  venerable  tradition  of  antiquity,  the}" 
divided  the  whole  known  world  into  twelve  parts,  of 
which  each  took  one  for  his  special  field  of  action. 
In  the  course  of  time  these  parts  themselves  proved  too 
extensive,  even  for  the  zeal  of  an  apostle.  They  were 
therefore  obliged  to  form  separate  congregations,  each 
of  which  they  placed  under  the  jurisdiction  of  an 
ecclesiastic  endowed  with  the  episcopal  dignity. 
But  as  little  by  little  the  number  of  the  faithful  in¬ 
creased  in  these  congregations,  it  was  found  neces¬ 
sary  to  subdivide  them  and  to  confide  these  subdivis¬ 
ions  to  the  care  of  clergymen  belonging  to  an  inferior 
rank.  It  is  in  this  manner  that  we  are  to  understand 
the  gradual  formation,  not  only  of  the  diocese  itself 
with  its  actual  hierarchical  government,  but  also  the 
precedence  which,  even  at  the  present  day,  one 
bishop  has  over  another  in  the  same  country. 

At  the  head  of  the  entire  Church  stands  the  pope, 
possessing  the  fulness  of  all  spiritual  power.  Next 
to  him  are  the  patriarchs  and  the  primates.  In  olden 
times  the  title  of  patriarch  was  restricted  to  those 
bishops  who  filled  the  sees  of  Antioch,  Rome,  and 
Alexandria.  Later  on,  some  other  sees  were  added 
to  this  number — for  instance,  Jerusalem,  Constanti¬ 
nople,  and  Venice.  It  must,  however,  be  remarked 
that  the  patriarchs  at  present  do  not  enjoy  any  special 
privileges,  nor  do  they  possess  a  higher  jurisdiction 
than  the  other  bishops  ;  their  title  being  merely 
honorary,  while  during  the  middle  ages  much  politi¬ 
cal  influence  was  connected  with  this  dignity.  The 
same  may  be  said  concerning  primacies.  The  pri- 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


135 


mate  of  any  country  holds  the  first  rank  among  the 
bishops  of  that  nation.  Thus  there  was  a  primate  of 
Germany,  of  England,  of  Ireland,  and  of  Poland. 

The  following  suggestions  about  the  government 
of  the  Church  are  of  vital  importance.  The  whole 
domain  of  the  Church  is  divided  into  ecclesiastical 
provinces.  At  the  head  of  each  province  stands  the 
metropolitan  or  archbishop.  He  ranks  foremost 
among  the  bishops  of  that  province,  and  in  provincial 
councils  he  occupies  the  first  seat  ;  besides,  he  enjoys 
some  privileges  which  are  not  granted  to  his  breth¬ 
ren  in  the  episcopate  ;  and  in  matters  of  jurisdiction 
he  is,  as  it  were,  the  connecting  link  between  them 
and  the  Roman  court.  Still,  he  does  not  receive  any 
higher  ordination  than  the  other  bishops,  nor  is  he 
placed  over  them  in  such  a  manner  as  to  have,  strictly 
speaking,  jurisdiction  over  them  ;  he  is  rather  “  pri¬ 
mus  inter  pares,  ”  the  first  among  his  equals,  having 
like  the  others  to  attend  to  the  government  of  a  dio¬ 
cese,  which  by  way  of  distinction  is  called  archdio¬ 
cese.  Thus  the  Archbishop  of  Baltimore  is,  indeed, 
the  metropolitan  of  the  ecclesiastical  province  of  the 
same  name  ;  and  yet  we  cannot  say  that  the  dio¬ 
cese  of  Richmond  belongs  to  the  Archdiocese  of 
Baltimore,  because  they  form  two  distinct  parts  of 
the  same  ecclesiastical  province. 

The  provinces  of  the  Church,  then,  are  divided  into 
dioceses,  at  the  head  of  each  of  which  is  the  bishop, 
holding,  as  a  general  rule,  the  same  authority  and 
power  over  his  diocesans  as  the  pope  exerts  over 
the  entire  Church.  We  say  that  this  holds  good  as  a 
general  rule,  because  the  case  may  present  itself  in 
which  the  pope,  by  virtue  of  his  supreme  authority 
and  jurisdiction,  would  find  himself  obliged  to  inter- 


136 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


fere  with  this  general  mode  of  proceeding,  and  to  put 
limits  to  the  action  of  a  bishop. 

The  diocese  in  its  turn  is  subdivided,  at  least  in 
the  Catholic  countries  of  Europe,  into  deaneries, 
headed  by  the  dean  ;  while  the  deaneries  themselves 
are  again  divided  into  parishes,  presided  over  by  the 
pastors  or  parish  priests. 

To  sum  up  what  has  been  said  till  now  :  We  say 
that  the  ruler  of  the  entire  Church  is  the  pope  ;  that 
the  ruler  of  an  ecclesiastical  province  is  called  arch¬ 
bishop  ;  that  the  ruler  of  a  deanery  is  called  dean  ;  and 
the  parish  priest  is  intrusted  with  the  care  of  a  parish. 

Besides,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  some  of  the 
offices  mentioned  are  of  such  a  nature  as  to  make  it 
impossible  for  any  single  person  to  fill  them  to  satisfac¬ 
tion.  Hence  it  is  customary  that  the  bishops,  who, 
generally  speaking,  are  burthened  with  a  variety  of 
duties,  have  a  number  of  ecclesiastical  persons,  such 
as  coadjutors  and  vicars-general,  attached  to  their 
persons,  who  in  one  way  or  another  act  in  the  name 
and  with  the  authority  of  the  bishop  himself.  On 
the  same  principle  we  explain  the  introduction  into 
the  diocese  not  only  of  the  cathedral  chapters  and  of 
the  vicars  for  simplifying  the  government  of  the  dio¬ 
cese  ;  but  also  of  chaplains  for  assisting  parish  priests 
in  discharging  their  duties.  In  most  dioceses  the 
ecclesiastical  corporations  that  help  the  bishop  in  the 
government  of  the  diocese  have  at  the  same  time 
the  privilege  to  elect  a  new  bishop  whenever  such  an 
election  is  necessary. 

Now  the  sovereign  pontiff  in  his  quality  of  ruler 
over  the  whole  Church,  having  under  his  jurisdic¬ 
tion  not  only  all  the  flocks,  but  also  all  the  pastors 
of  the  flocks,  must  of  necessity  have  at  his  side  a 
great  number  of  men,  and  even  of  corporations  of 


TIIE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


137 


men,  for  the  purpose  of  managing’  affairs  ecclesiastic 
with  prudence  and  promptness.  During  the  early 
ages  the  pope  when  pressed  with  business  had  re¬ 
course  to  the  principal  clergymen  in  and  about 
the  city  of  Rome.  And  thus  as  the  bishops  had 
their  cathedral  chapters,  the  popes  in  the  course 
of  time  created  for  themselves  an  organization  con¬ 
sisting  at  first  of  the  suburban  bishops  and  of  the 
Roman  priests  and  deacons.  At  the  present  day 
these  counsellors  of  the  pope  are  known  by  the  name 
of  cardinals,  and  are  called,  in  accordance  with  their 
grade  of  ordination,  either  cardinal  bishops,  cardinal 
priests,  or  cardinal  deacons.  This  dignity,  at  first 
granted  to  the  Roman  clergy  only,  was  gradually 
extended  to  other  princes  of  the  Church,  irrespective 
of  nationality.  Although  this  latter  class  of  cardi¬ 
nals,  because  of  their  duties  at  home  and  the  distance 
of  their  sees  from  Rome,  do  not  take  any  active  part 
in  the  government  of  the  Church,  they  have  never¬ 
theless  a  right  to  be  present  at  the  conclave,  and  to 
vote  for  a  new  pope. 

In  the  same  proportion  in  which  the  Church  ex¬ 
tended  her  territory  and  multiplied  the  number  of 
her  children,  the  ecclesiastical  government  became 
more  and  more  complicated.  Hence  the  cardinals, 
who  for  a  long  time,  as  has  been  stated,  were  chosen 
from  among  the  bishops,  deans,  and  parish  priests 
of  Rome,  could  not  possibly  at  one  and  the  same 
time  share  in  the  general  government  of  the  Church, 
and  attend  to  their  parishes,  deaneries,  or  dioceses. 
They  therefore,  although  preserving  their  ancient 
title  of  bishops,  deans,  or  priests,  were  relieved  of 
their  pastoral  charges,  and  resided  under  the  im¬ 
mediate  supervision  of  the  pope  in  the  Lateran 
palace,  or,  later,  in  the  Vatican.  In  this  manner  the 


138 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


College  of  Cardinals  resembled  very  much  the  ca¬ 
thedral  chapter  which  we  mentioned  above  ;  for,  as 
the  members  of  the  latter,  upon  the  decease  of  their 
bishop,  take  the  government  of  the  diocese  into  their 
hands,  so  also  do  the  cardinals,  whenever  the  Holy 
See  is  vacant,  govern  the  whole  Church  until  a  new 
pope  has  been  appointed. 

For  the  better  management  of  affairs,  every  one 
of  the  cardinals  (whose  number  may  not  exceed 
seventy-two)  is  assigned  to  one  or  more  of  the 
many  congregations  of  cardinals.  Thus  some  cardi¬ 
nals  belong  to  the  Congregation  of  the  Index,  whose 
duty  it  is  to  examine  books  and  pamphlets  in  order 
to  decide  whether  they  are  beneficial  or  prejudicial  to 
the  faith  and  morals  of  the  faithful.  Others,  again,  be¬ 
long  to  the  Congregation  of  the  Propagation  of  Faith, 
whose  office  it  is  to  watch  over  the  interests  of  the 
Church  in  missionary  countries.  Then,  again,  as  oc¬ 
casions  offer,  the  pope  may  erect  new  congregations, 
which,  however,  are  dissolved  as  soon  as  the  diffi¬ 
culties  in  question  have  disappeared.  Every  one  of 
these  congregations  requires  a  great  number  of  per¬ 
sons,  who,  although  not  members  of  the  congrega¬ 
tion,  are  employed  either  as  counsellors,  as  transla¬ 
tors,  or  as  clerks. 

Thus  far  we  have  given  the  reader  the  broad  out¬ 
lines  of  the  system  by  which  the  Church  is  governed. 
Hasty  as  our  sketch  has  been,  we  trust  that  it  will 
prove  sufficient  for  the  reader  to  understand  how, 
under  such  a  constitution,  it  happens  that  the  mem¬ 
bers  and  the  head  of  the  Church  are  intimately  linked 
together,  and  that  each  thought  and  each  word  pro¬ 
ceeding  from  the  head  is  communicated  to  all  the 
members  even  to  the  remotest  countries. 

Still  we  must  confess  that  our  picture  is  far  Com 


TI-IE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


139 


being  complete.  It  represents  the  Church  as  she  is 
governed  in  times  of  peace  and  prosperity.  But  as 
the  Church  on  earth  with  good  reason  is  called  the 
Church  militant,  we  cannot  be  surprised  at  seeing 
that  the  periods  of  her  prosperity  are  but  short  and 
few,  while  the  periods  of  her  struggles  and  of  her 
sufferings  are  long  and  many.  In  fact,  it  may  safely 
be  asserted  that  ever  since  the  coming  down  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  there  has  not 
been  a^  time  in  which  the  Church  enjoyed  perfect 
peace  throughout  all  the  parts  of  her  vast  domain. 
There  are  even  now  mighty  kingdoms  in  which  the 
Church  of  God  and  her  institutions  are  hardly 
known  ;  there  are  extensive  territories  in  which  the 
Church  is  hardly  tolerated  ;  there  are  powerful  na¬ 
tions  that  persecute  the  Church  in  the  most  cruel 
manner.  It  is  evident  that,  under  such  circumstan¬ 
ces,  the  Church  finds  herself  straitened,  and  that  she 
is  unable  to  display  all  the  beauty  and  the  strength 
inherent  to  her  wonderful  organization.  All  these 
countries  stand  under  the  immediate  jurisdiction  of 
the  pope.  It  is  the  pope  himself  who  sends  the  mis¬ 
sionaries  ;  he  selects  for  them  a  central  place  from 
which  the  whole  country  is  evangelized.  In  this 
manner  the  missions  apostolic  are  formed,  which  in 
the  course  of  time  are  raised  to  the  rank  of  dioceses. 
During  the  pontificate  of  Pius  IX.  it  happened  re¬ 
peatedly  that  apostolic  missions  were  erected  into 
regular  dioceses — as,  for  instance,  in  England  and  in 
Holland. 

This  is  not  all.  It  may  occur  that  the  maintaining 
of  the  regular  hierarchy  in  a  certain  country  would 
entail  much  suffering  and  great  molestations  on  the 
ecclesiastical  dignitaries.  In  such  cases  it  is  but 
reasonable  that  the  pope  should  change  the  hierarchy 


140 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


into  an  apostolic  mission,  as  was  the  case  in  England 
during  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  How  easy 
would  it  have  been  for  the  English  pursuivants  to 
apprehend  a  bishop  who  is  obliged  to  remain  at  his 
see,  or  a  parish  priest  who  is  not  allowed  to  leave  his 
parish.  The  pope,  therefore,  withdrew  all  this,  and 
in  its  stead  introduced  the  missionary  system  by 
sending  zealous  priests  into  the  realm,  to  whom  he 
granted  full  powers,  and  who,  under  various  dis¬ 
guises,  went  through  the  land  in  all  directions, 
strengthening  the  faltering  spirits  of  the  Catholics, 
administering  the  sacraments,  exposing  themselves  to 
all  manner  of  vexation,  and  not  unfrequently  sealing 
their  faith  by  shedding  their  blood  under  the  most 
horrible  and  revolting  torments.  The  Tower  of  Lon¬ 
don  might  bear  terrible  witness  to  what  we  say. 

But  even  without  such  occasions  the  pope,  in  vir¬ 
tue  of  his  plenary  power,  resorts  at  times  to  extraor¬ 
dinary  means.  The  bishops,  for  example,  exercise 
jurisdiction  over  the  whole  extent  of  their  dioceses  ; 
yet  the  pope  has  often  exempted  certain  religious 
orders  from  this  diocesan  government. 

A  more  striking  instance  of  this  is  furnished  by 
the  ecclesiastical  organization  of  the  Prussian  army. 
At  the  desire  of  the  crown,  the  pope  constituted  the 
entire  army,  so  long  as  the  soldiers  remained  under 
the  flag,  a  separate  diocese,  at  the  head  of  which 
stood  an  army-bishop  ;  so  that  wherever  any  corps 
or  regiment  of  the  army  might  be  stationed,  its  mem¬ 
bers  were  subject  not  to  the  ordinary  of  the  local  dio¬ 
cese,  but  to  their  own  military  bishop. 

Thus  we  see  all  things  ordered  for  the  best  in  the 
constitution  of  the  Church.  We  have  a  permanent 
order,  without  which  no  organization  can  preserve 
its  living  action.  But  along  with  that  order  we  have 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


141 


a  freedom  of  action,  which,  without  disturbing  the 
former,  is  competent  to  provide  for  all  extraordinary 
occurrences.  This  wise  union  of  order  and  liberty 
plainly  shows  that  a  more  than  human  wisdom  pre¬ 
sides  over  the  Church,  since  that  alone  could  create 
an  institution  which  far  outstrips  the  duration  of  any 
human  work.  He  alone  who  created  the  world 
could  create  a  Church  whose  birth  dates  back  to  the 
beginning  of  time,  and  whose  mission  will  end  only 
with  the  life  of  the  last  of  our  race. 


CHAPTER  IT. 


AN  HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 

From  what  has  been  said  of  the  office  of  the  pope 
in  the  Church,  it  evidently  follows  how  important  it 
is  that  the  See  of  Peter  should  be  filled  by  a  worthy 
successor.  It  is  true  that  this  see  is  surrounded  by 
divine  safeguards  ;  and  we  know  that,  even  if  it  were 
held  by  the  greatest  of  sinners,  or  by  the  man  of  the 
most  limited  natural  ability,  no  harm  could  come 
from  this  to  the  preservation  and  propagation  of  the 
faith.  Peter  would  still  speak  through  the  mouth  of 
his  successor,  and  as  Peter’s  faith  cannot  fail,  we 
should  have  the  assurance  that  the  saving  truth  re¬ 
mained  unimpaired.  And  Christ,  who  to  the  con¬ 
summation  of  ages  will  never  for  a  single  day  aban¬ 
don  His  Church,  would  shield  her  in  her  greatest 
need  with  His  almighty  hand,  so  that  the  gates  of  hell 
should  never  prevail  against  her. 

But  this  divine  guarantee  could  not  be  held  as  an 
encouragement  to  human  indifference.  It  would  be 
a  wrong  to  the  majesty  of  God  did  men  suppose  that 
this  divine  promise  dispensed  them  from  prudent 
precaution,  or  that  it  was  of  no  consequence  who  was 
placed  upon  the  throne  of  St.  Peter.  As  the  pope 
himself,  though  infallible  in  teaching,  may  not  ne- 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


143 


gleet  the  thorough  and  careful  discussion  of  questions 
proposed  for  his  doctrinal  decision,  so  may  not  men 
appoint  as  the  representative  of  God  one  of  whose 
worthiness  they  have  not  taken  sufficient  proof. 
Even  the  best  will  always  be,  in  comparison  with 
God,  an  unworthy  representative  ;  and  when  the 
sovereign  pontiffs  style  themselves  so,  they  use  no 
meaningless  phrase,  but  speak  a  truth  well  known  to 
themselves  as  well  as  to  those  whom  they  address. 
Men  cannot  offer  to  God  any  thing  better  than  they 
possess  ;  but  they  are  bound  to  give  Him  the  best 
and  the  worthiest.  To  offer  less  or  to  offer  anything 
in  a  slovenly  manner,  would  be  a  crime  against  In¬ 
finite  Majesty. 

But  such  things  have  happened  in  the  course  of 
ages  ;  it  has  happened  that  insufficient  care  Avas 
taken,  that  men  were  ignorant  of  the  unworthiness  of 
the  one  chosen,  and  this  ignorance  was  sometimes 
wilful,  sometimes  unwilful.  In  such  cases  God  still 
kept  His  word  ;  the  faith  never  wavered  at  Rome  ; 
and  never,  in  the  lapse  of  two  thousand  years,  has 
a  pope  defined  ex  cathedra  a  point  of  doctrine  Avhich 
a  succeeding  pope  found  it  necessary  to  condemn. 
During  the  same  two  thousand  years  numberless 
scientific  systems  have  been  set  up  and  overturned 
again,  but  never  a  papal  definition.  The  gates  of 
hell  have  never  prevailed  against  the  Church  in  the 
cases  alluded  to  ;  but  she  has  suffered  and  suffered 
severely  whenever  they  occurred.  Happily  the  cases 
were  rare  ;  and  the  great  majority  of  the  popes,  how¬ 
ever  unworthy  they  were  in  comparison  Avith  God, 
Avere,  Avhen  compared  Avith  men,  pious,  virtuous,  and 
Avise.  No  dynasty  on  earth  can  sIioav  so  long  a  line  of 
exemplary  princes,  so  feAv  umvorthy  rulers  as  the  chair 
qf  Peter,  and  in  moral  greatness,  in  masterly  ability  of 


144 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


government,  many  a  pope  stands  higher  than  the 
greatest  of  other  rulers. 

For  these  qualities,  however  desirable  they  may 
be,  and  however  suited  to  the  sublime  dignity  of  the 
papacy,  we  have  no  divine  security.  And  for  this 
reason,  but  especially  because  men  owe  it  to  the  di¬ 
vine  sanctity  and  majesty,  it  was  necessary  to  sur¬ 
round  the  papal  election  with  all  possible  precau¬ 
tions,  so  that  none  but  the  most  worthy  and  most 
excellent  should  be  chosen. 

Accordingly,  the  Church  has  in  all  ages  bestowed 
the  utmost  care  on  this  important  act  ;  and  the  sys¬ 
tem  is  no  mere  mass  of  ceremonies  or  formalities,  but 
is  the  result  of  the  serious  study  of  eighteen  centu¬ 
ries.  Wherever  a  deficiency  appeared  it  was  sup¬ 
plied,  and  all  measures  had  no  other  end  in  view  but 
that  the  electors  should  be  irreproachable,  that  they 
should  be  free  from  all  external  influence,  and  should 
follow  only  their  own  conscience  in  the  election. 

A  very  brief  historical  view  of  the  matter  will 
suffice  to  prove  this.  In  the  earliest  ages  there  was 
no  reason  to  require  any  difference  in  the  elections  of 
popes  or  bishops.  There  was  no  fear  that  any  one 
would  covet  this  dignity  through  worldly  motives  ; 
for  how  greatly  soever  the  early  pontiffs  were  re¬ 
vered  by  the  faithful,  yet  they  knew  that  in  accept¬ 
ing  this  pre-eminence,  they  had  to  sacrifice  whatever 
might  render  life  pleasant  or  desirable  ;  and  that  they 
must  look  forward  to  a  bloody  martyrdom  in  the  end. 
There  was  then  no  earthly  inducement  to  stir  up  the 
ambition  for  the  tiara  in  the  first  popes.  And  if  the 
candidate  had  none,  much  less  can  we  find  it  in  the 
electors.  They  had  nothing  to  offer  and  they  had 
nothing  to  hope  from  the  one  whom  they  might  elect. 
All  Christendom  in  those  days  looked  forward,  to 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


M5 


martyrdom,  and,  under  such  circumstances,  men  are 
necessarily  virtuous  and  inaccessible  to  unworthy  mo¬ 
tives.  Hence,  in  a  vacancy  of  the  Holy  See,  the 
bishops  of  the  sees  near  Rome  assembled,  and,  to¬ 
gether  with  the  clergy  and  faithful  people  of  the  capi¬ 
tal,  agreed  on  the  choice  of  a  successor.  There  was 
no  definite  form  of  election  to  be  observed  under 
pain  of  nullity.  When  the  choice  had  been  deter¬ 
mined,  the  newly-elected  was  consecrated  by  the 
Bishop  of  Ostia,  the  seaport  of  Rome. 

This  continued  until  the  Roman  emperors  became 
Christians.  Thenceforth  the  emperors  became  the 
protectors  of  the  Church,  and  as  such  they  received 
certain  rights  and  privileges.  They  began  by  point¬ 
ing  out,  in  cases  of  difficulties  arising  out  of  a  multi¬ 
plicity  of  candidates,  none  of  whom  could  secure  a 
majority  of  votes,  which  of  them  should  succeed  to 
the  chair  of  Peter.  The  papacy  now  began  to  exer¬ 
cise  an  external  influence,  and  then  the  dangers  also 
came  to  light,  which  did  not  exist  in  times  of  bloody 
persecutions.  It  is  true  that  time  was  needed  to  de¬ 
velop  these  dangers  and  to  strengthen  the  Imperial 
influence,  until  at  length  it  became  necessary  to  op¬ 
pose  it,  and  to  erect  such  barriers  against  it  as  would 
restore  and  preserve  the  ancient  freedom  of  election. 

When  Odoacer  had  secured  to  himself  the  posses¬ 
sion  of  Italy,  he  claimed  the  same  rights  which  the 
emperors  had  exercised  before  him  ;  and  Theodoric 
the  Great,  King  of  the  Ostrogoths,  who  ruled  in 
Rome  after  him,  went  even  further,  by  appointing 
one  pope,  Felix  III.,  by  his  sole  vote.  His  succes¬ 
sors  were  more  modest  ;  they,  however,  required  the 
election  to  be  referred  to  them  for  approval  ;  they 
issued  an  edict  of  ratification,  for  which  a  handsome 
tribute  was  expected  for  the  royal  treasury. 


146 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


In  later  times  the  eastern  Emperor  Justinian  re¬ 
conquered  Italy,  and  then  the  right  of  approving  the 
papal  election  Avas  vested  in  him  and  his  successors. 
The  emperor’s  representative  held  his  court  at  Ra¬ 
venna  under  the  title  of  Exarch  ;  and  this  officer  was 
to  receive  immediate  notice  of  a  vacancy  in  the  Ro¬ 
man  See,  Avhilst  the  decree  of  election  was  to  be 
ahvays  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  emperor.  The 
tax  on  the  ratification  was  first  remitted  under  Con¬ 
stantine  Pogonatus,  in  680,  and  as  the  Imperial  poAver 
gradually  sank  loAver  and  loAver,  the  papal  election 
became  more  and  more  free. 

But  now  another  danger  appeared.  Parties  had 
been  formed  at  Rome  by  the  various  nationalities  of 
Avhich  its  population  consisted  ;  and  these  brought 
their  influence  to  bear,  sometimes  in  unlawful  Avays, 
on  the  election  of  the  pontiff.  To  counteract  this, 
protection  Avas  again  sought  from  the  princes  ;  but 
this  time  not  from  the  court  of  Constantinople,  Avhich 
had  lost  its  hold  on  western  Europe,  but  from  the  Carl- 
ovingian  princes,  especially  from  Charlemagne,  Avho 
had  restored  the ‘empire  in  the  West.  Thenceforth 
the  election  Avas  ahvays  to  be  held  in  presence  of  the 
imperial  ambassadors  ;  a  decree  not  invariably  ob¬ 
served,  yet  giving  a  recognized  right  Avhich,  on  the 
dissolution  of  the  Carlovingian  Empire,  passed  over 
to  Germany. 

The  German  emperors  used  the  poAver  Avith  all 
the  arbitrary  violence  of  the  Avorst  times  under  the 
eastern  Caesars.  At  first  they  stretched  their  privi¬ 
lege  so  far  as  simply  to  name  the  pope  themselves 
Avithout  any  election.  Thus  Henry  III.  alone  ele¬ 
vated  three  German  bishops  in  succession  to  the 
papacy.  It  is  granted  that  he  Avas  happy  in  his 
choice  in  each  case,  and  hence  the  arbitrary  use  of 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


1 47 

his  Imperial  privilege  had  no  bad  consequences  for 
the  Church.  But  that  was  not  a  condition  worthy  of 
God’s  Vicar  on  earth  ;  and  there  was  no  assurance 
that  all  future  elections  or  nominations  would  be 
equally  fortunate,  or  that  future  emperors  would  be 
equally  favorably  disposed  towards  the  Church.  A 
serious  danger  therefore  threatened  the  freedom  of 
the  Church  ;  and  since  she  cannot  announce  the  truth 
while  she  is  the  handmaid  of  earthly  princes,  she  was 
threatened  even  in  regard  to  the  fufilment  of  her 
mission.  And  the  fact  that  the  emperor’s  choice 
fell  only  on  worthy  incumbents  only  enhanced  the 
danger  ;  as  this  circumstance  seemed  to  approve  a 
measure  which  attacked  the  very  heart  of  the  Church. 
But  God  has  promised  that  the  gates  of  hell  should 
not  prevail,  and  therefore,  as  this  state  of  affairs  was 
a  real  danger  to  the  Church,  He  shielded  her  with 
His  almighty  hand.  From  that  era  dates  the  re¬ 
action  against  every  external  influence,  a  reaction 
which  has  steadily  gained  ground  even  to  our  own 
times. 

It  was  the  lot  of  Pope  Nicholas  II.  to  inaugurate 
the  movement  for  the  freedom  of  the  papal  election. 
In  a  decree,  “  De  Electione  Pontificis,”  published  in 
1059,  he  points  out  the  evils  which  had  hitherto  ham¬ 
pered  the  election.  He  mentions  even  bribes  as  hav¬ 
ing  been  used  by  ambitious  candidates  or  their  sup¬ 
porters.  As  precautions  for  the  future,  he  ordains 
that  the  cardinal  bishops  shall  first  consult  together 
about  the  future  pope  ;  then  the  cardinal  clerics,  and 
finally  the  lower  clergy  and  the  people  shall  give 
their  vote.  The  pope  thus  chosen  shall  be  acknowl¬ 
edged  as  legitimate  by  all  under  pain  of  excommuni¬ 
cation.  It  is  evident  that  nothing  new  was  hereby 
ordained,  if  we  except  perhaps  the  clause  that  the 


1 48 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


bishops  should  have  the  first  voice.  All  the  rest  is 
nothing  but  the  method  of  election  which  had  been 
followed  from  the  earliest  days.  And  even  the  right 
thus  given  to  the  cardinal  bishops  can  hardly,  in 
practice,  be  considered  as  a  new  institution.  For,  in 
the  early  times,  by  reason  of  the  bloody  persecutions 
of  the  Church,  there  was  in  all  its  members  a  won¬ 
derful  unanimity,  which  was  to  some  extent  lost  in 
quiet  and  peaceful  ages.  Christians  then  were  one 
great  family,  all  the  members  of  which  were  equally 
heroic  in  self-sacrifice  and  generosity.  With  this 
feeling  of  fellowship  was  united  the  most  unlimited 
reverence  for  those  who,  in  regard  to  this  family, 
held  the  office  of  fathers.  When,  therefore,  the  chair 
of  Peter  was  vacant,  the  next  in  authority  were  the 
cardinal  bishops  ;  and  hence  it  naturally  devolved 
upon  them  to  seek  for  the  worthiest  successor  ;  from 
them  all  others  expected  to  receive  advice.  Pope 
Nicholas,  therefore,  in  decreeing  that  they  should 
first  consult  together,  only  gave  a  public  sanction  to 
what  had  been  observed  from  the  earliest  days,  in 
almost  every  election,  as  something  flowing  from  the 
very  nature  of  things. 

From  this  decree  it  is  evident  that  there  is  no 
longer  question  of  Imperial  interference  in  the  elec¬ 
tion,  much  less  of  a  nomination  of  the  pope  by  the 
emperor.  It  is  true  that  the  pope  wished  to  see  a 
due  regard  shown  to  the  prince  (Henry  IV.  was  still 
young  at  the  time  and  not  yet  on  the  throne)  ;  but 
even  the  words  of  the  decree,  “  salvo  debito  honore 
et  reverentia,  ”  plainly  show  that  the  pontiff  meant 
only  that  regard  which  was  due  to  the  ruler  of  Ger¬ 
many  as  protector  of  the  Church.  It  was  then  rather 
an  instruction  to  the  electors  than  a  privilege  for  the 
prince.  They  were  not  to  forget  the  reverence  and 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


I49 


honor  due  to  the  monarch.  That  nothing  more  was 
intended  is  shown  by  other  clauses  of  the  same  docu¬ 
ment,  which  may  be  viewed  as  innovations,  the  ob¬ 
ject  of  which  was  to  guard  the  election  against  the 
power  of  the  emperors  as  well  as  against  the  action 
of  factions  in  Rome.  Thus,  the  pope  ordains  that 
should  an  election  be  impossible  at  Rome,  the  cardi¬ 
nals  shall  have  the  right  to  elect  elsewhere.  He 
ordains  moreover  that  if  circumstances  prevent  the 
solemn  inauguration  of  the  newly  elected  pontiff, 
this  shall  not  be  a  hindrance  to  him  in  the  full  use  of 
his  power  to  govern  the  Church.  The  elect  was 
pope  by  the  fact  of  his  legitimate  election,  and  against 
this  no  protest  could  be  admitted. 

This  decree  has  been  to  this  day  the  groundwork 
of  the  papal  election.  In  unessential  matters  some 
alterations  have  been  made  by  new  regulations  or  the 
abrogation  of  old,  as  the  times  seemed  to  require  ; 
but  the  main  point  remained  firm,  that  no  worldly 
power  has  the  right  of  imposing  a  head  on  the 
Church  in  any  form  or  under  any  pretext. 

By  degrees  the  method  of  electing  was  so  modi¬ 
fied  that  it  was  entrusted  to  the  cardinals  alone  ;  and 
hence  the  preliminary  council  of  cardinal  bishops  was 
abrogated  as  no  longer  needed,  now  that  a  fixed  elec¬ 
toral  college  existed,  composed  exclusively  of  men  of 
the  greaest  wisdom  and  virtue.  Moreover,  the  cus¬ 
tom  was  introduced  and  became  a  law  that  the  pope 
should  be  elected  from  the  college  of  cardinals.  This 
had  been  otherwise  in  ancient  ages,  when  men  were 
sometimes  chosen  who  were  not  even  priests,  but 
who  were,  of  course,  first  ordained  before  they  could 
exercise  the  functions  of  their  high  spiritual  office. 
We  know  that  the  apostles  raised  laymen  to  the  epis¬ 
copate.  St.  Ambrose  was  chosen  bishop  of  Milan 


150 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


even  before  his  baptism.  It  was  only  after  his  elec¬ 
tion  that  he  was  baptized,  then  received  the  lower 
orders,  and  eight  days  afterwards  was  consecrated 
bishop.  The  groundwork  of  the  hierarchy  was  laid  ; 
but  the  solid,  well-planned  edifice  required  time  for 
its  erection.  Hence  the  decree  of  Pope  Nicholas  still 
permitted,  in  case  of  necessity,  the  choice  of  an  eccle¬ 
siastic  from  another  church,  that  is,  of  one  not  a 
member  of  the  college  of  cardinals. 

Finally,  the  manifold  relations  which  existed  be¬ 
tween  the  pope  and  Catholic  kingdoms  gave  origin  to 
a  certain  negative  influence  exercised  by  the  latter  on 
the  election.  We  have  seen  that  Nicholas  required 
a  due  regard  for  the  secular  power.  But  care  was 
taken  that  this  should  never  again  lead  to  the  abuses 
which  had  formerly  existed.  No  secular  power  was 
to  choose  the  pope  ;  this  was  and  remained  the  office 
of  the  cardinals.  It  was,  however,  in  the  interest  of 
the  Church  that  the  future  pope  should  be  one  against 
whose  person  there  would  be  no  grounded  or  un¬ 
grounded  prejudice  in  this  or  that  great  nation. 
Now,  that  the  electors  might  know  who  would  be 
unacceptable  to  one  or  other  of  the  Catholic  powers, 
the  privilege  of  a  veto  was  granted  to  Austria, 
France,  and  Spain.  But  this  veto  had  not  the  mean¬ 
ing,  as  has  frequently  been  asserted,  that  these  na¬ 
tions,  or  any  one  of  them,  could  protest  against  an 
election  once  made,  or  render  it  null.  This  would 
have  been  a  direct  return  to  the  old  abuses,  which  it 
was  the  object  to  ward  off.  Indeed,  the  difficulties 
would  only  have  been  multiplied.  For,  instead  of 
one,  there  were  three  to  control  the  choice  ;  and  not 
unfrequently,  by  reason  of  conflicting  political  inter¬ 
ests,  a  candidate  would  have  been  most  acceptable  to 
one  government  against  whom  another  entertained 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


151 

the  most  unconcealed  opposition.  The  veto  then  was 
something  very  different  from  this.  It  meant  only 
that  each  of  those  nations  might  depute  one  of  the 
cardinals  to  point  out  the  one  whom  it  did  not 
desire  to  be  elected.  But  this  was  to  be  done  before 
the  election,  in  order  to  hinder  the  choice.  A  pro¬ 
test  against  one  already  chosen  was  not  allowed. 
Besides,  each  of  the  governments  could  make  use  of 
its  veto  but  once,  so  that  at  the  most  only  three  car¬ 
dinals  were  excluded.  It  was  of  course  permitted  to 
each  of  the  powers  to  name  several  persons,  whose 
elevation  would  be  less  agreeable  to  it,  with  the  un¬ 
derstanding  that  the  cardinal  who  represented  its  in¬ 
terests  could  use  the  veto  against  any  one  of  them, 
should  he  prove  a  likely  candidate  during  the  con¬ 
clave.  Once  that  this  veto  had  been  pronounced 
against  any  candidate,  the  privilege  was  at  an  end, 
and  could  not  be  used  against  any  other  in  the 
same  election.  In  this  manner  it  was  sought  to 
observe  all  due  regard  towards  the  great  Catholic 
nations,  whilst,  on  the  other  hand,  the  freedom  of  the 
election  was  secured.  This  privilege  granted  to  the 
three  leading  Catholic  governments  was  termed  the 
“exclusiva.  ”  But  even  this  concession  does  not 
constitute  a  formal  right  to  be  maintained  against  the 
Church,  or  to  which  she  would  consider  herself 
bound  to  yield  unconditionally  through  a  sense  of 
moral  obligation.  It  is  nothing  more  than  a  grant  or 
concession,  grounded  on  motives  of  prudence.  If  a 
Pope  chose  to  abolish  this  veto,  it  would  cease  ;  and 
if  a  Pope  were  elected  over  the  veto,  he  would  still  be 
Pope.  But  this  will  hardly  happen  ;  for  at  Rome 
such  privileges  are  held  sacred,  even  though  there  is 
no  strict  obligation  to  regard  them. 

The  formalities  and  ceremonies  connected  with 


152 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


the  papal  election  are  the  work  of  a  thousand  years. 
It  would  exceed  the  limits  of  our  space  to  give  a  full 
account  of  the  origin,  the  changes,  and  the  develop¬ 
ment  of  these  formalities.  We  must  content  our¬ 
selves  in  this,  as  in  other  portions  of  our  task,  with 
merely  stating  in  general  terms  the  principles  on 
which  the  election  is  based.  In  this  respect  it  will 
suffice  to  explain  how  the  choice  is  made  according  to 
laws  in  vigor  at  the  present  time. 

The  nature  of  the  subject  suggests  its  division 
into  three  parts  : 

The  first  part  includes  the  preliminary  steps  until 
the  cardinals  enter  into  conclave. 

The  second  regards  the  election  itself  in  conclave 
which  ends  with  the  conclave  itself. 

The  last  part  explains  the  acts  that  take  place  im¬ 
mediately  after  the  election  and  until  the  government 
of  the  Church  is  restored  to  its  usual  form. 

Before  we  pass  to  the  development  of  these 
points,  we  must  remark  that,  owing  to  peculiar  cir¬ 
cumstances,  the  papal  election  cannot  at  present  be 
conducted  in  strict  accordance  with  the  method 
demanded  by  the  usuages  and  laws  of  the  Church. 
The  presence  of  the  Piedmontese  in  Rome  may  yet 
necessitate  other  modifications.  But  we  pay  little 
heed  to  this  ephemeral  circumstance.  In  describing 
the  papal  election,  we  do  not  intend  to  consider 
merely  how  this  or  that  pope  was  elected  :  this  be¬ 
longs  to  the  historian  ;  but  we  describe  the  grand 
acts  and  forms  which,  in  the  intention  of  the  Church, 
should  accompany  the  election.  If  now  and  then,  in 
consequence  of  the  rising  of  some  particular  political 
star,  some  of  the  prescriptions  can  be  observed  only 
in  their  spirit  and  not  in  their  letter,  we  may  be 
grieved  at  this  misfortune  ;  but  we  must  not  forget 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


153 


that  political  stars  rise  and  fall,  and  the  everlasting 
Church  of  God  outlives  them  all. 

It  was  for  the  purpose  of  preparing  the  reader  so 
that  he  might  be  less  sensibly  affected  by  the  fact  that 
the  conclave  has  not  now  its  full  liberty  of  action, 
that  we  insisted  in  this  chapter  on  the  immovable 
principles  on  which  the  election  of  a  pontiff  must  pro¬ 
ceed.  Whatever  may  be  hindered  by  the  pressure  of 
political  power,  it  remains  always  true  that  he  is  our 
pope  whom  the  cardinals  of  the  Holy  Roman  Church 
have  chosen.  God  has  stood  by  His  Church  in  the 
past  ;  He  will  not  desert  her  now. 


I 


CHAPTER  III. 

PART  I. — THE  PRELIMINARY  STEPS. 

We  must  here  repeat  that  we  describe  the  papal 
election  according  to  the  laws  of  the  Church  ;  not 
the  modifications  enforced  by  a  temporary  pressure. 
How  far  such  pressure  may  prevail  we  are  not  able 
to  foresee  ;  but  we  owe  this  confidence  .to  God,  that 
such  forced  modifications  will  never  pass  into  recog¬ 
nized  ecclesiastical  law  ;  that  after  the  days  of  gloom 
the  sun  will  again  shine  on  the  Church,  and  then  the 
venerable  ancient  institutions  will  return  to  their  pris¬ 
tine  vigor. 

Here,  then,  we  consider  the  election  as  it  ought  to 
be  ;  we  suppose  the  Pope  to  be  in  possession  of  his 
legitimate  rights,  spiritual  and  temporal  ;  and  there¬ 
fore  that  he  is  the  ruler  of  Rome.  For  this  he  will 
surely  be  once  more,  after  the  present  short-lived 
usurpation  of  his  dominions  by  the  kingdom  of  Italy. 
In  order  to  include  all  that  is  connected  with  this  part 
of  our  subject,  we  must  go  back  to  the  last  moments 
of  the  dying  Pope. 

It  need  hardly  be  said  that,  as  soon  as  the  physi¬ 
cians  declare  that  tne  life  of  the  Pope  is  in  serious  dan¬ 
ger,  he  receives  the  last  sacraments  according  to  the 
ritual  of  the  Roman  Pontifical.  For  this  purpose  he 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


155 


summons  the  cardinals  into  his  presence,  begs  their 
forgiveness,  commends  to  them  his  household,  and 
gives  them  all  instructions  which  he  may  deem  nec¬ 
essary  in  the  interest  of  the  Church.  He  dismisses 
them  with  the  apostolical  benediction. 

The  Confessor,  the  Chamberlain,  and  the  domestic 
prelates  remain  with  the  Pope,  and  when  it  becomes 
evident  that  death  is  approaching,  one  of  the  prelates 
again  and  again  presents  to  him  the  crucifix  to  be 
kissed.  The  officers  of  the  Sacred  Penitentiary  are 
summoned  to  recite  the  Recommendation  for  the 
Dying  and  the  Penitential  Psalms  ;  and  this  is  con¬ 
tinued  till  the  Pope  has  breathed  his  last. 

Hereupon  notice  of  the  death  is  given  to  the  Car¬ 
dinal-Chamberlain  of  the  Roman  Church.  This  func¬ 
tionary,  vested  in  purple  robes  and  accompanied  by 
the  domestic  ghamberlains,  approaches  the  bed  of  the 
Pope  and  calls  him  aloud  three  times  by  his  baptismal 
and  family  names.  Only  then,  when  the  notary  of 
the  apostolic  chamber  has  been  witness  that  no  an¬ 
swer  is  returned  to  this  threefold  call,  a  declaration 
of  the  Pope’s  death  is  drawn  up  in  legal  form.  The 
cardinal  then  demands  of  the  chief  chamberlain  of  the 
late  Pope  the  Fisherman’s  Ring,  with  which  papal 
briefs  are  sealed  ;  and  receives  from  the  Prodatarius 
and  the  Vice-Chancellor  of  the  Roman  Church  the 
seals  for  the  bulls  and  dispensations.  These  are  then 
destroyed. 

Meanwhile  the  relatives  of  the  late  pontiff,  who 
may  have  lesided  in  the  palace,  and  the  Cardinal-Pro¬ 
tector  leave  the  premises  with  what  belongs  to  them. 
The  Cardinal-Chamberlain  then  takes  formal  posses¬ 
sion  of  the  palace  and  orders  an  inventory  of  all  that 
it  contains. 

Finally,  the  remains  of  the  Pope  are  intrusted  to 
the  clergy  of  St.  Peter’s  basilica,  who  cause  the 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


I$6 

body  to  be  embalmed.  The  entrails,  inclosed  in  a 
sealed  vessel,  are  taken  in  a  closed  char'ot  to  the 
Church  of  Sts.  Vincent  and  Anastasius,  where  they 
are  buried  after  the  usual  funeral  absolution.  The 
body  of  the  Pope  is  vested  in  the  pontifical  robes, 
the  tiara  is  placed  on  the  head  and  a  chalice  in  the 
hands  ;  and  thus  he  is  laid  out. 

Besides  the  above  dispositions,  which  may  be 
called  internal,  other  measures  are  taken  simultane¬ 
ously,  the  object  of  which  is  to  secure  the  public 
tranquillity.  For  the  Pope’s  death  has,  on  some  oc¬ 
casions,  given  rise  to  disturbances,  and  it  became 
necessary  to  prevent  the  movements  of  unruly  par¬ 
ties,  which  were  doubly  unbecoming  at  so  sad  a  mo¬ 
ment.  On  this  account  it  was  prescribed  that  the 
Cardinal-Chamberlain,  in  concert  with  the  command¬ 
ant  of  the  troops,  should  make  such  arrangements  as 
were  needed.  The  gates  and  other  important  posts 
are  guarded  by  stronger  detachments  than  usual,  and 
patrols  are  sent  through  the  several  wards  of  the 
city.  These  measures  having  been  taken  to  secure 
the  public  peace,  the  cardinal,  escorted  by  the  Swiss 
Guards,  makes  a  tour  through  the  city  in  his  state 
carriage.  When  he  sets  out  the  great  bell  of  the 
capital  is  tolled  as  for  a  funeral.  The  other  bells  are 
tolled  in  the  same  manner,  and  the  death  of  the  Pope 
is  then  made  publicly  known. 

Simultaneously  with  this  solemn  procession,  the 
Cardinal-Chamberlain  takes  command  of  the  govern¬ 
ment  during  the  vacancy  of  the  papal  throne.  As 
soon  as  the  bells  are  tolled  all  the  courts  are  closed, 
the  chanceries  cease  the  writing  of  bulls,  and  all  ordi¬ 
nary  congregations  of  cardinals  are  suspended.  The 
Chief-Penitenitary  alone,  who  exercises  spiritual  juris¬ 
diction  in  cases  of  papal  reservation  continues  in  the 
discharge  of  his  office.^ 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


lS7 


The  Cardinal-Chamberlain  is  assited  in  the  gov¬ 
ernment  by  the  respective  seniors  of  the  cardinal- 
bishops,  priests,  and  deacons,  as  the  supreme  council 
of  State.  These,  however,  remain  in  office  but  three 
days,  after  which  they  are  succeeded  by  the  next  in 
seniority,  and  so  on  till  the  new  Pope  is  elected. 
Furthermore,  the  Cardinal-Chamberlain  is  required 
to  summon  all  the  cardinals  in  Rome  to  a  consulta¬ 
tion  on  the  necessary  provisions  for  the  time  of  the 
vacancy and  this  before  the  end  of  the  day  on  which 
the  Pope  expired,  or  on  the  following  day  in  case  the 
Pope  died  in  the  evening.  The  Roman  Senate  is  also 
assembled  and  exhorted  to  assist  in  preserving  order 
in  the  city.  In  this  manner  all  is  attended  to  that  may 
be  necessary  under  the  circumstances. 

The  first  act  of  the  interregnum  is  an  act  of  grace. 
Criminals  under  confinement  for  minor  offences  are 
set  free,  and  prisoners  for  debt  are  discharged.  All 
this  is  done  on  the  day  of  the  late  Pope’s  decease,  or 
on  the  next  day. 

We  now  return  to  the  remains  of  the  pontiff.  The 
first  act  after  the  publication  of  the  Pope’s  death  is 
the  solemn  laying  out  of  his  body.  His  people’s 
pious  duty  is  to  gaze  for  the  last  time  on  the  face  of 
their  ruler,  and  hence,  after  the  expiration  of  twenty- 
four  hours  from  the  death,  the  body,  vested  in  the 
white  soutane,  the  mozzetta,  and  the  “  camauro  rosso,” 
is  laid  on  a  bed  of  state,  where  it  remains  till  the 
third  day.  Near  it  are  placed  four  lighted  tapers  ; 
two  of  the  Noble  Guard  keep  watch,  and  some 
members  of  one  of  the  penitential  confraternities 
kneel  in  prayer  for  the  departed  soul.  This  takes 
place  in  an  ante-chamber  of  the  palace,  and  all  that 
wish  are  admitted.  When  the  Pope  has  died  at  the 
Vatican,  his  body  is  next  carried  to  the  Church  of  St. 
Peter  ;  but  when  his  death  has  occurred  in  the  Quiri- 


158 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


nal,  the  remains  are  first  transferred  to  the  Vatican, 
in  solemn  procession,  under  military  escort.  The 
hearse  is  covered  with  red  cloth  ;  it  is  drawn  by  two 
snow-white  mules  caparisoned  with  crimson  gold- 
embroidered  trappings,  and  in  front  of  it  walk  the 
brethren  of  the  penitential  confraternities  with 
torches.  The  corpse  is  vested,  as  was  said,  for  the 
exposition,  and  the  face  is  uncovered.  Thus  the 
train  moves  slowly  towards  the  Vatican,  to  the  sound 
of  muffled  trumpets  and  the  tolling  of  bells,  till  it 
rests  at  the  foot  of  the  stairway  of  Constantine. 
Four  of  the  brethren  then  carry  the  corpse  into  the 
Sistine  Chapel,  where  it  is  clad  in  full  pontifical  robes, 
and  again  remains  lying  in  state  through  the  night. 
Lights  burn  around  the  couch  as  before,  the  brethren 
recite  their  prayers,  and  the  Noble  Guard  keep  watch. 

On  the  following  morning  all  the  cardinals  assem¬ 
ble,  with  the  clergy  of  St.  Peter’s,  in  the  Sistine 
Chapel.  The  papal  choir  sings  the  Response, 
“  Subvenite  Sancti,”  the  Pater  Noster  is  recited,  the 
corpse  is  sprinkled  with  holy  water,  and,  lastly,  is 
taken  into  the  Basilica. 

Here,  too,  everything  is  prescribed  to  the  minutest 
details.  The  clergy  of  St.  Peter’s,  preceded  by  the 
cross-bearer,  accompany  the  procession  with  lighted 
torches.  The  bier  is  borne  by  eight  priests,  and 
eight  more  hold  the  edges  of  the  pall.  The  Swiss 
Guard  and  the  Noble  Guard  surround  it,  and  the 
cardinals  follow.  In  this  manner  the  train  moves  into 
the  nave  of  the  church,  where  the  bier  is  set  down. 

The  corpse  is  then  once  more  placed  on  a  bed  of 
state,  and  again  the  absolution  is  pronounced  over  it. 
The  cardinals  retire,  and  the  remains  are  taken  to  the 
Chapel  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  where  they  lie  in 
state  during  the  day.  This  chapel  is  enclosed  by  a 
railing,  which  prevents  access  to  it.  But  the  body 


THE  FATAL  ELECTION. 


*59 


is  so  placed  that  the  feet  extend  beyond  the  railing,  so 
that  the  faithful  may  kiss  them.  It  is  understood  that 
the  usual  guards  are  stationed  to  keep  watch  over  the 
remains. 

As  the  evening  approaches,  the  cardinals  again 
assemble  in  the  Chapel  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  for 
the  purpose  of  carrying  the  corpse  into  the  Chapel 
of  the  Choir  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Basilica, 
where  it  is  to  be  enclosed  in  the  coffin.  This  is  done 
in  solenTn  procession,  whilst  the  Miserere  is  chanted. 
For  the  third  time  the  absolution  is  performed  by  an 
archbishop,  and  in  presence  of  the  entire  College 
of  Cardinals. 

After  this  the  corpse  is  laid  in  a  coffin  of  cypress- 
wood,  and  with  it  are  deposited  as  many  medals  of 
gold,  silver,  and  copper  as  were  the  years  of  the 
Pope’s  reign.  These  medals  are  placed  in  three 
purses.  The  face  of  the  corpse  is  then  covered  with 
a  white  veil,  and  the  whole  body  with  a  red  cloth 
bordered  with  ermine.  The  coffin  is  closed  and  en¬ 
cased  in  a  second  casket  of  lead,  which  bears  an  in¬ 
scription  and  the  arms  of  the  deceased.  The  inscrip¬ 
tion  consists  of  the  name  and  age  of  the  Pope,  the 
place  and  time  of  his  death,  and  the  length  of  his 
reign.  The  following  is  its  usual  form  : 

D.  O.  M. 

. Papa,  Aetatis  annorum . 

Mensium . Dierum . 

Obiit 

In  Quirtnali  (Vaticano)  Palatio. 

Die . Anno . 

Sedit 

Annos  .  .  .  Menses  .  .  .  Dies . 

Hie  requiescit 


i6o 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


The  casket  of  lead,  when  closed,  is  sealed  by  the 
Cardinal-Chamberlain,  and  then  deposited  in  a  third 
coffin  made  of  common  wood.  Meanwhile  the  papal 
choir  chants  the  Antiphon  “  Ingrediar,”  and  the  Psalm 
“  Quemadmodum  desiderat.”  Finally,  an  authentic 
document  of  the  whole  proceedings  is  drawn  up  by 
three  notaries  appointed  for  the  purpose. 

Immediately  next  to  the  Chapel  of  the  Choir  there 
is  a  door  leading  into  the  vestry-room  of  the  papal 
chanters.  Over  this  door  is  a  broad  and  deep  niche, 
into  which  the  coffin  is  placed  ;  and  there  it  remains 
until  a  monument  has  been  erected  for  it  in  a  chosen 
spot  within  the  walls  of  the  Basilica.  If  the  succeed¬ 
ing  Pope  should  die  before  this  monument  is  finished 
for  his  predecessor’s  remains,  the  latter  are  removed 
to  another  place  to  make  room  in  the  above  niche  for 
its  new  occupant.  But  if  the  late  Pope  had  chosen 
for  his  last  resting-place  a  spot  outside  of  St.  Peter’s, 
his  remains  cannot  be  removed  to  it  for  one  year  after 
his  death.  During  that  year  they  rest  in  the  above- 
named  niche,  or,  as  the  case  may  be,  in  the  other  spot 
inside  the  church  appointed  for  the  purpose. 

Considering  the  spirit  which  animates  the  Church, 
it  is  easy  to  suppose  that  all  the  means  which  our  faith 
affords,  would  be  applied  in  the  richest  measure  to 
secure  for  the  soul  of  the  departed  pontiff  eternal 
light  and  everlasting  repose  in  heaven.  Surely  the 
Pope  needs  prayers  more  than  any  other  mortal. 
During  his  life  the  Church  prays  without  ceasing  for 
him,  that  God  may  take  him  under  I  lis  special  protec¬ 
tion  and  grant  him  the  divine  assistance  in  the  direc¬ 
tion  and  government  of  the  faithful  committed  to  his 
charge.  After  his  death,  his  people  pay  him  the  last 
tribute  of  gratitude  for  the  heavy  responsibility  which 
for  their  sake  he  had  taken  on  his  shoulders.  In  order 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION.  l6l 

to  fulfil  this  duty  of  charity  which  Christians  owe  to 
all  men  in  general  and  in  a  special  manner  towards  the 
vicar  of  Christ  on  earth,  the  Church  has  ordered  nine 
days’  funeral  obsequies  for  the  Pope.  These  begin 
on  the  third  day  after  his  death,  and  the  solemn  ser¬ 
vices  are  performed  each  day  by  one  of  the  cardinals, 
whilst  all  the  others  assist  at  them.  On  the  ninth  day 
the  cardinals  walk  in  procession  around  the  catafalque 
erected  irf  the  nave  of  St.  Peter’s.  Five  cardinals, 
after  having  celebrated  Mass  for  the  deceased, 
sprinkle  the  bier  with  holy  water,  and  incense 
it  with  the  usual  prayers.  The  “  Requiescat  in 
pace”  is  sung  for  the  last  time,  to  which  all  present 
answer,  “  Amen  and  thus  the  funeral  ceremonies 
are  brought  to  a  close. 

The  Church  does  not,  however,  rest  satisfied 
with  these  nine  days’  services,  but  offers,  besides, 
many  sacrifices  for  the  repose  of  the  deceased  Pope. 
On  the  first  day  alone,  two  hundred  masses  are  said 
for  him  in  the  church  of  St.  Peter,  and  one  hundred 
on  each  of  the  following  days.  The  same  number 
are  celebrated  in  the  several  parish  churches,  be¬ 
sides  those  said  in  the  churches  of  the  religious 
orders  ;  and  there  can  hardly  be  a  single  Catholic 
church  or  chapel  in  the  whole  world,  in  which  there 
is  not  a  mass  offered  for  the  Pope,  when  he  dies,  nor 
a  Catholic  priest  anywhere  on  earth  who  does  not, 
of  his  own  accord,  pay  that  tribute  of  love  to  the 
common  father. 

Every  day  after  the  service  the  cardinals  meet  in 
a  general  congregation,  and  as  one  of  these  meetings 
had  been  held  on  the  day  before  the  obsequies,  the 
number  of  these  general  assemblies  is  ten.  A  minute 
order  of  proceedings  is  laid  down  for  each  day,  and 
the  business  is  entirely  directed  towards  the  ap- 


162  the  papal  election. 

proaching  conclave.  In  the  first  meeting  a  number 
of  papal  bulls  are  read,  which  regard  the  election. 
These  bulls  are  of  Popes  Alexander  III.,  Gregory 
X.,  Clement  V.,  Clement  VI.,  Julius  II.,  Pius  IV., 
Gregory  XV.,  Urban  VIII.,  and  Clement  XII.  Ac¬ 
cording  to  these  bulls,  the  election  is  to  begin  ten 
days  after  the  death  of  the  Pope.  It  is  not  allowed 
to  wait  longer  than  ten  days  for  absent  cardinals,  all 
of  whom  have,  in  the  meantime,  been  summoned. 
No  ecclesiastical  censure  can  deprive  a  cardinal  of 
his  vote,  and  even  an  excommunication  would  be  of 
no  force  against  the  one  who  would  be  elected.  The 
election  is  to  be  held  in  secret  conclave,  and  he  is 
elected  on  whom  two-thirds  of  the  votes  are  united. 
Every  ballot  which  brings  no  election  is  cancelled.  If 
the  elect  is  not  yet  a  bishop,  he  is  first  to  be  conse¬ 
crated  by  the  Bishop  of  Ostia.  This  consecration  is 
now  performed  by  the  Dean  of  the  Sacred  College, 
even  if  he  is  not  Bishop  of  Ostia.  As  Pope  he  is 
confirmed  by  no  one.  Such  is  the  import  of  the  said 
bulls,  and  when  the  reading  of  them  is  concluded, 
the  cardinals  make  oath  to  observe  the  decrees.  Now 
follows  the  breaking  of  the  Fisherman’s  Ring  used 
by  the  late  Pope.  This  is  done  by  the  chief  master- 
of-ceremonies,  by  order  of  the  Cardinal-Chamberlain. 
Next,  two  prelates  are  appointed,  one  to  pronounce 
the  eulogy  on  the  deceased,  the  other  to  deliver  the 
address  before  the  election.  The  days’  sitting  is 
closed  by  the  selection  of  two  cardinals,  whose  duty 
it  shall  be  to  superintend  the  building  of  the  conclave. 

The  second  congregation  is  almost  entirely  de¬ 
voted  to  political  affairs.  The  various  officers  of  the 
State  are  confirmed  in  their  positions,  the  Conserva- 
tores  of  Rome  offer  a  tribute  of  condolence,  and 
promise  obedience  to  the  Sacred  College.  There  are 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


*63 

four  Conservatores,  and  their  office  is  held  in  very 
high  esteem.  Their  official  residence  is  in  the  Cap¬ 
itol  and  in  the  Consulta,  and  they  control  the  higher 
department  of  the  police.  At  the  close  of  this  meet¬ 
ing  the  two  cardinals  selected  on  the  preceding  day 
give  their  report  on  the  building  of  the  conclave. 

The  congregations  of  the  three  following  days  are 
occupied  exclusively  with  elections  for  the  conclave. 
Two  physicians,  one  surgeon,  one  apothecary,  two 
barbers  and  their  assistants  are  named. 

At  the  sixth  meeting  the  cells  of  the  conclave  are 
assigned  by  lot  to  the  cardinals,  and  six  masters  of 
ceremonies,  besides  other  necessary  attendants,  are 
appointed. 

The  seventh  is  the  least  important  of  all.  Its  busi¬ 
ness  is  to  allow  any  cardinal,  who  may  desire  it,  to 
choose  a  third  attendant  in  addition  to  the  two  al¬ 
lowed  by  law.  These  are  the  so-called  conclavists  of 
the  cardinals,  and  they  are  not  to  be  confounded  with 
other  servants.  One  of  them  is  generally  a  priest. 
In  virtue  of  this  office  they  henceforth  rank  as  Roman 
Knights  and  enjoy  the  rights  of  citizenship. 

In  the  eighth  congregation  a  catalogue  is  made 
of  all  the  persons  who  are  to  be  enclosed  in  conclave, 
or  of  all  the  conclavists,  with  name,  surname,  rank, 
and  birthplace  of  each. 

The  last  two  meetings  are  occupied  with  the 
choice  of  three  cardinals,  who  are  to  preside  over 
the  entering  into  the  conclave,  and  over  the  internal 
economy  of  that  great  family. 

But  all  this  does  not  absorb  the  whole  time  and 
attention  of  these  ten  congregations.  They  serve 
also  for  the  reception  of  official  deputations  and  em¬ 
bassies.  The  ministers  of  foreign  courts  and  the 
representatives  of  the  cities  of  the  pontifical  States 


164 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


appear  before  them  to  express  their  sentiments  of  sym¬ 
pathy  and  loyalty.  For  these  audiences  a  special 
ceremonial  is  laid  down.  The  ambassadors,  on 
entering  the  hall,  bend  the  knee  three  times,  and 
then  address  the  cardinals  standing  and  with  covered 
heads  ;  all  others  make  their  address  kneeling  and 
uncovered.  The  Dean  of  the  Sacred  College  re¬ 
sponds  in  the  name  of  all. 

On  the  day  after  the  obsequies  and  the  last  congre¬ 
gation,  the  Cardinal  Dean  says  the  Mass  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  in  St.  Peter’s,  at  which  the  other  cardinals  are 
present.  The  discourse  before  the  election  is  next 
delivered  in  Latin,  by  the  cardinal  chosen  in  the 
first  congregation.  The  drift  of  this  discourse  is 
sufficiently  indicated  by  the  nature  of  the  subject, 
and  tends  to  induce  the  electors  to  place  a  worthy 
successor  in  the  chair  of  St.  Peter.  At  the  close 
of  the  discourse,  the  cardinals  enter  the  conclave  in  a 
most  solemn  manner.  The  procession  is  headed  by 
the  conclavists  of  the  cardinals  and  the  papal  chap¬ 
lains,  who  chant  the  “  Veni  Creator.”  Next  comes 
the  master  of  ceremonies  bearing  the  cross.  Then 
follow  the  cardinals,  according  to  their  three  several 
degrees,  and  in  the  order  of  their  creation  in  each. 
All  wear  the  purple  mozetta.  The  entire  procession 
is  accompanied  by  the  Swiss  and  the  Noble  Guards. 

In  this  order,  the  train  advances  towards  the 
place  where  the  conclave  is  to  be  held.  By  law  it 
should  be  in  the  Vatican,  though  it  has  often  been 
held  at  the  Quirinal.  The  cardinals  are  not,  however, 
bound  to  either  place.  It  is  for  them  to  select  the 
place  for  the  conclave  ;  and  if  they  generally  chose 
the  Vatican,  it  was  because  the  long  galleries  and  the 
large  halls  of  that  palace  facilitated  the  preparation 
of  the  necessary  cells  for  the  electors. 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


165 

When  the  procession  has  reached  the  place  of  the 
conclave,  the  cardinals  betake  themselves  to  the 
chapel  of  the  election,  where  they  say  a  short  prayer, 
listen  once  more  to  the  reading  of  the  bulls  on  the 
election,  and  make  oath  to  observe  them.  The  Car¬ 
dinal  Dean  then  makes  an  address  to  them,  and  with 
this  closes  this  portion  of  the  solemnities.  For  that 
day  the  conclave  remains  open,  so  that  the  cardinals 
may  leave  it  and  may  also  receive  visitors  in  it. 

They  must,  however,  all  be  in  it  before  night,  and 
at  the  approach  of  midnight  the  chief  master  of  cer¬ 
emonies  gives  a  signal  with  the  bell,  on  which  all 
who  do  not  belong  to  the  conclave  are  required  to 
retire.  The  conclave  is  then  solemnly  closed  by  the 
marshal  of  the  palace,  in  the  presence  of  the  three 
cardinals  chosen  for  this  purpose  in  the  last  congre¬ 
gation. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


PART  II. — TIIE  CONCLAVE. 

E  now  come  to  the  most  important  part  of  the 


V  V  papal  election,  or  rather  to  the  essential  act 
in  it.  Thus  far  we  have  spoken  of  the  death  of  the 
last  Pope,  of  the  introduction  to  the  election,  which 
takes  place  in  the  conclave.  All  this  was  but  a  prep¬ 
aration  for  the  great  act.  And  since  we  call  this  the 
“  preparation”  we  may  designate  what  we  shall  de¬ 
scribe  in  the  third  part  by  the  word  ”  ending”  of  the 
conclave.  But  when  the  conclave  is  over  the  Pope 
is  elected,  even  though  what  we  are  about  to  de¬ 
scribe  as  taking  place  after  the  conclave,  has  not 
been  exactly  performed,  but  modified  or  even  en¬ 
tirely  omitted.  As  soon  as  the  conclave  is  over 
there  is  a  Pope,  and  this  no  power  on  earth,  how 
great  soever  it  may  be,  can  change.  The  Pope  may 
be  killed,  then  the  cardinals  choose  again  ;  but  it  can¬ 
not  be  said  that  this  or  that  legitimately  chosen  car¬ 
dinal  is  not  Pope.  From  these  few  premises  the  reader 
may  judge  of  the  importance  of  the  conclave  with 
regard  to  the  election  ;  for  it  is  the  conclave  that 
chooses  the  Pope. 

First  of  all  let  us  consider  what  conclave  means. 
Conclave  is  a  Latin  word,  derived  from  clavis,  a 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


167 


key,  to  which  the  syllable  con,  together,  is  prefixed. 
Taking  this  literal  meaning,  we  see  that  conclave  sig¬ 
nifies  something  under  key,  or  under  one  key,  some 
things  together  locked  up  with  one  key  ;  therefore, 
in  a  wider  sense,  a  building  with  one  door.  With 
reference  to  the  papal  election,  it  is  used  to  desig¬ 
nate  the  building  in  which  this  takes  place,  the  en¬ 
trances  of  which,  as  we  shall  see  later,  are  nearly  all 
walled  up,  so  that  it  is  almost  strictly  true  to  say  that 
the  whole  building  is  locked  and  unlocked  with  one 
key. 

The  word  conclave,  signifying  the  building  in 
which  the  election  takes  place,  was  also  transferred 
to  the  body  of  the  electors  ;  so  that  we  understand 
by  conclave  the  cardinals  who  are  assembled  in  the 
said  building  to  elect  the  Pope.  No  other  convention 
of  cardinals  is  called  conclave  ;  they  form  congrega¬ 
tions.  Even  the  assemblies  of  cardinals  described 
above,  though  connected  with  the  election  of  the 
Pope,  are  always  called  congregations.  A  conclave 
exists  only  when  the  cardinals  are  assembled  in  the 
building  called  conclave,  without  permission  to  quit 
it,  and  when  the  real  election  has  begun,  which  is  not 
to  be  interrupted  by  any  other  business. 

A  third,  though  very  improper  meaning  of  the 
same  word,  extends  farther,  including  all  those  per¬ 
sons  who,  during  the  election,  dwell  in  the  same 
building,  namely,  the  assistants  of  the  cardinals,  the 
servants,  and  others  ;  but  it  can  hardly  be  said  that 
all  these  people  taken  together  form  the  conclave  ; 
at  most  they  may  be  said  to  pertain  to  it. 

It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  only  the  first  two 
meanings  of  the  word  conclave  are  of  importance, 
namely,  that  of  the  building  in  which  the  election 
takes  place,  and  that  of  the  body  of  men — the  cardi¬ 
nals — who  cast  votes  in  the  election. 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


1 68 

About  the  building  in  which  the  election  takes 
place  there  was  nothing  determined.  In  former 
times  the  Pope  could  be  chosen  wherever  the  cardi¬ 
nals  assembled  for  that  purpose  ;  and,  in  fact,  elec¬ 
tions  were  held  in  various  towns  of  Italy.  Nicholas 
II.,  at  the  end  of  the  eleventh  century,  and  Clement 
IV.,  in  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth,  ordered  that  the 
Pope  should  be  chosen  in  Rome.  Only  in  case  of  war, 
or  what  comes  to  the  same,  when  revolution  or  vio¬ 
lence  is  to  be  feared,  can  the  conclave  take  place  out¬ 
side  of  Rome.  But  this  has  seldom  been  the  case. 
Pius  VII.  was  chosen  at  Venice  in  1800. 

In  Rome  itself  no  particular  place  is  fixed  for  the 
election.  This  depends  on  the  cardinals,  who  deter¬ 
mine  it,  at  least  implicitly,  in  the  first  general  congre¬ 
gation,  when  two  cardinals  are  appointed  overseers 
of  the  conclave  to  be  erected.  In  the  second  congre¬ 
gation  these  two  make  known  what  they  have  done. 
Hence  they  must  know  on  the  first  day  where  the 
conclave  is  to  be  held. 

There  are  in  Rome  two  places  specially  adapted 
to  the  holding  of  a  conclave,  the  Vatican  and  the 
Quirinal  Palaces.  The  cardinals  preferred  the  former, 
not  only  for  its  immense  galleries,  but  also  on  account 
of  the  proximity  of  St.  Peter’s  Church,  in  which, 
after  the  election,  divers  solemnities  are  performed. 
But  the  Quirinal  was  sometimes  selected,  as  when 
Pius  IX.  was  chosen  Pope. 

Next  comes  the  erection  of  cells  for  the  cardinals. 
This  is  done  as  soon  as  the  building  in  which  the 
election  is  to  be  held  has  been  determined  upon.  If, 
as  is  generally  the  case,  the  Vatican  has  been  selected,- 
the  cells  are  put  up  in  the  gallery  from  which  the 
blessing  is  given.  Their  dimensions  are  twenty  feet 
long,  twenty  broad,  and  twenty  high.  They  are  con- 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


169 


structed  of  light  timbers  and  hung  with  violet-col¬ 
ored  tapestry,  il  the  cardinal  has  been  nominated  by 
the  deceased  pontiff,  otherwise  the  hangings  are 
green  or  red.  Every  cell  has  a  little  window  facing 


the  gallery.  But,  as  the  windows  of  the  gallery  itself 
are  walled  up  as  far  as  the  upper  lights,  a  kind  of 
dusk  prevails  in  it,  which  makes  itself  still  more  dis¬ 
agreeably  felt  in  the  cells.  Above  every  cell  is  its 
number  and  the  escutcheon  of  the  cardinal  residing 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


170 

there.  Each  cell  is  divided  into  two  rooms,  the 
larger  of  which  is  occupied  by  the  cardinal  himself, 
the  smaller  one  by  his  attendants.  The  space  is, 
therefore,  very  limited,  and  when  the  most  indis¬ 
pensable  furniture,  bed,  table,  chairs,  and  press  are 
put  into  the  cell,  there  is  no  room  to  spare.  Beside 
the  cell  are  two  other  small  divisions,  one  forming 
the  chapel  in  which  the  cardinal  says  or  hears  mass, 
the  other  serving  as  a  refectory.  Such  is  a  cardinal’s 
dwelling-place  in  the  conclave,  and  the  suites  of  rooms 
are  several  feet  apart  from  one  another. 

But  besides  the  erection  of  these  cells,  one  for 
every  cardinal  who  takes  part  in  the  election,  there 
is  work  also  for  the  mason.  At  the  end  of  the  preced¬ 
ing  chapter  we  saw  how  the  cardinals  enter  into  the 
conclave,  and  how,  on  the  evening  of  .the  same  day, 
all  persons  not  belonging  to  the  conclave  are  required 
to  leave  the  building.  This  done,  all  entrances  to 
the  rooms  of  the  conclave,  as  also  the  windows,  are 
walled  up,  one  single  gate  excepted  ;  but  even  there 
all  unauthorized  going  in  and  out  is  guarded  against 
with  a  solicitude  almost  excessive,  notwithstanding 
the  importance  of  the  matter. 

We  may  here  mention  that  the  same  may  be  said 
about  a  number  of  other  measures  to  be  hereafter  de¬ 
scribed.  This  care  and  solicitude  exceeds  all  bounds, 
and  it  would  be  impossible  to  carry  it  farther  if  the 
college  of  cardinals  were  a  body  of  political  intriguers 
against  whom  too  great  precautions  could  not  be 
taken.  Such  men,  it  is  true,  may  happen  to  belong 
to  that  august  body,  just  as  there  was  a  Judas  amongst 
the  apostles.  But  those  elements  certainly  are  ex¬ 
ceptions  ;  they  are  known,  and,  humanly  speaking, 
scarcely  exercise  any  influence  in  the  papal  election. 
The  vast  majority  of  the  Sacred  College  can  safely  be 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


171 

admitted  to  consist  of  virtuous  and  intelligent  men, 
who  value  the  good  of  the  Church  above  every  thing 
else,  and  whose  judgment  even  the  most  artful  dialec¬ 
tics  can  hardly  lead  astray. 

But  if,  neverthless,  all  communication  between  the 
cardinals  and  the  outer  world  is  cut  off  with  a  care 
bordering  on  excess,  we  must,  to  understand  this, 
consider  the  deeper  reasons  of  it. 

First  of  all,  the  Pope  should  not  be  chosen  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  ruler  of  a  temporal  elective  mon¬ 
archy  ;  for  the  principal  end  of  the  State  is  to  pro¬ 
tect  the  lawful  temporal  interests  of  men.  Hence  it 
is  but  natural  that  these  temporal  interests  should  be 
of  great  weight  in  the  election,  that  they  should  be 
carefully  balanced,  and  that,  as  they  may  change  at 
every  moment  up  to  the  last,  until  then  also  they  in¬ 
fluence  the  election. 

But  in  the  papal  election  it  is  not  so.  The  rela¬ 
tion  of  the  Holy  See  to  the  Catholic  powers  deserves 
indeed  fully  to  be  taken  into  account,  and  a  certain 
regard  is  to  be  had  for  it  in  the  choice  of  a  new  Pope. 
But  all  political  elements  that  may  enter  into  this  act 
must  exert  their  influence  before  the  conclave,  and 
the  importance  given  to  them  has  been  fixed  by  what 
is  called  the  veto  of  the  Catholic  powers.  We  have 
already  explained  in  what  this  right  consists.  Each  of 
the  three  powers  can  designate  a  certain  person  whose 
election  would  not  be  agreeable  to  it,  and  the  cardi¬ 
nals  will  give  it  due  consideration,  though  not  strictly 
bound  to  do  so.  But  if  these  powers,  with  interests 
in  view  entirely  different  from  those  of  the  Catholic 
Church,  were  to  come  during  the  election  with 
notes,  threats,  promises,  and  intrigues,  not  only 
would  the  quiet  of  the  assembly  be  disturbed,  but 
some  of  the  electors  might  be  so  influenced  that, 


1 72 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


even  without  their  knowing  or  wishing  it,  worldly 
considerations  would  decide  a  choice  which  ought  to 
rest  only  on  the  rights  of  God  and  the  welfare  of  the 
Church.  This  is  the  principal  reason  for  which  all 
communication  with  the  electing  body  is  cut  off. 

It  is,  however,  not  enough  that  such  influences, 
foreign  to  the  end  and  life  of  the  Church,  be  excluded  ; 
not  even  the  slightest  ground  for  suspecting  their 
presence  should  be  given.  And  here  we  arrive  at 
one  of  the  most  wonderful,  really  divine  regulations 
of  the  Catholic  Church,  which  we  cannot  abstain 
from  briefly  describing. 

In  the  nations  of  the  civilized  world  there  are  two 
leading  forms  of  government.  The  supreme  power 
either  proceeds  from  the  people,  and  in  this  case  the 
government  very  frequently  presents  a  sad  picture 
of  weakness,  and  the  men  in  power  become  the  mere 
instruments  of  ambitious  tribunes  ;  or  the  supreme 
power  lies  in  the  hands  of  a  monarch  or  an  aristoc¬ 
racy,  and  then  the  people  are  generally  an  object  of 
spoliation.  Periods  of  history  in  which  a  despot, 
free  from  egotism,  made  his  people  happy,  or  a 
majority  of  people  paid  due  regard  to  the  rights  of  a 
minority,  are  of  rare  occurrence.  For  this  reason 
men  even  now  are  yet  searching  a  way  of  balancing 
the  powers  in  such  a  manner  that  they  may  prevent 
each  other  from  doing  evil  and  leave  liberty  only  for 
doing  good.  But  to  this  day  no  one  has  succeeded 
in  solving  the  problem,  though  the  greatest  minds 
have  made  it  the  study  of  their  lives. 

It  is  not  so  in  the  government  of  the  Church. 
Exteriorly  it  resembles  the  monarchy  in  this,  that  it 
is  founded  on  the  principle  of  authority.  The  pas¬ 
tors  feed  the  sheep,  not  vice  versa.  Such  has  been 
the  will  of  the  divine  Founder,  who  possesses  all 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


173 


authority,  and  from  whom  all  authority  of  both  mon- 
archs  and  people  is  derived.  But  the  whole  authority 
finds  its  scope  and  its  limits  not  in  the  well-being'  of 
the  shepherds,  but  in  that  of  the  flock.  Even  Christ 
has  represented  himself  under  the  figure  of  a  shep¬ 
herd,  but  not  of  a  shepherd  who  uses  his  flock  only 
for  his  own  benefit,  but  of  a  good  shepherd  who  gives 
his  life  for  his  sheep.  Thus  in  the  Church  we  find 
every  thing  ruled  by  the  shepherds,  yet  not  for  the 
good  of  the  shepherds,  but  for  that  of  the  flock.  We 
see  the  Church  provide  beforehand  for  all  spiritual 
and  even  corporal  necessities.  She  carefully  guards 
against  all  dangers  of  soul  and  body,  and  the  shep¬ 
herd  is  always  ready  to  stand  in  the  breach  to  fight 
breast  to  breast  against  the  enemy  for  the  salva¬ 
tion  of  his  flock.  Catholics  know  this  spirit  of  the 
Holy  Church  very  well,  and  therefore  feel  seci  re 
under  her  protection.  The  tendency  of  laymen  to 
substitute  themselves  for  the  clergy,  a  fact  of  fre¬ 
quent  occurrence  in  Protestantism,  finds  no  place 
among  us,  because  the  interests  of  both  classes  do 
not  oppose  each  other.  The  interests  of  the  congre¬ 
gation  are  also  those  of  the  hierarchy.  But  if,  on 
this  account,  one  would  take  us  for  an  indolent  and 
slavish  mass  without  will  and  judgment,  he  would  be 
greatly  mistaken.  On  the  contrary,  where  human 
weakness  neglects  the  interest  and  salvation  of  the 
congregation,  as  may  be  the  case,  the  people 
promptly  seek  help  from  the  superior  shepherds, 
which  they  know  will  not  be  refused.  How  far  this 
foresight  of  the  Church  goes  is  evinced  also  in  the 
many  precautions  taken  to  secure  complete  liherty  in 
the  papal  election.  There  should  not  be  left  to  the 
Catholic  people  any  ground  of  fear  lest  human  con¬ 
siderations  and  hopes  may  have  influenced  the  elec- 


174 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


tion.  God’s  help  can  certainly  not  be  wanting  at 
that  moment,  since  it  is  of  the  greatest  import  for  the 
Catholic  Church  ;  for  He  is  with  her  until  the  end 
of  the  world.  But  men  must  co-operate  as  far  as  it 
lies  in  their  power,  otherwise  God  may  grant  only 
so  much  of  His  protection  as  is  absolutely  required. 
The  Catholic  people  must  have  the  satisfaction  of 
knowing  that,  in  this  respect,  nothing  possible  to  men 
has  been  neglected. 

It  is  from  this  standpoint  we  must  consider  the 
following  regulations,  which  appear  to  go  into  the 
minutest  details,  and  one  cannot  help  recognizing  in 
them  the  wisdom  and  providence  of  the  Church. 

After  this  digression,  which  the  reader  will  excuse, 
let  us  return  to  the  papal  election. 

We  have  already  said  that  after  all  persons  not 
connected  with  the  conclave  have  withdrawn,  the  en¬ 
trances,  one  single  gate  excepted,  are  walled  up,  and 
that  this  gate  is  guarded  with  particular  care.  It  has 
two  different  locks,  one  inside,  the  other  outside. 
Both  are  locked  ;  the  key  of  the  inside  is  taken  into 
custody  by  the  governor  of  the  conclave,  the  key 
of  the  outside  by  the  master  of  ceremonies.  This  gate 
is  the  entrance  to  the  conclave  itself.  In  the  con¬ 
clave  there  is  one  window,  and  if  an  ambassador,  for 
particular  reasons,  desires  to  obtain  an  official  audi¬ 
ence,  he  can  have  it  only  at  this  window.  All  private 
or  secret  communication  is  thereby  entirely  excluded. 

The  wall  in  which  the  gate  is  has  four  openings 
provided  with  shutters.  Through  these  the  cardi¬ 
nals  receive  their  meals,  and  whatever  else  is  abso¬ 
lutely  required  is  introduced  through  them,  so  that 
intercourse  cannot  be  had  directly  as  at  the  window. 
The  carrying  of  meals  is  subject  to  very  particular 
regulations,  of  which  we  shall  speak  later  on. 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


1/5 


But  all  this  was  not  yet  deemed  sufficient.  Not 
only  the  conclave  itself,  but  also  the  halls  next  to  it 
are  locked,  so  that  unnoticed  access  cannot  be  had. 
The  gate  leading  into  these  halls  from  without,  as 
well  as  the  inner  door,  are  provided  with  two  differ¬ 
ent  locks  ;  the  key  of  the  interior  lock  is  kept  by  the 
Cardinal-Camerlengo,  the  key  of  the  exterior  by  the 
marshal.  Besides  all  this,  a  large  padlock  is  added, 
the  key  of  which  is  intrusted  to  the  chief  master  of 
ceremonies. 

Near  the  main  gate  is,  moreover,  a  small  side-gate, 
which  is  also  kept  locked.  It  is  opened  only  to  let  in 
those  persons  who  are  to  have  an  audience  at  the 
window  of  the  inner  gate,  or  to  let  out  sick  Cardinals 
who  wish  to  leave  the  conclave. 

Having  thus  described  the  arrangement  of  the 
building,  we  now  come  to  the  precautions  taken  dur¬ 
ing  the  conclave  itself.  The  marshal  of  the  conclave 
watches  over  its  security  against  all  danger  from 
without.  This  is  an  hereditary  dignity,  which  in 
former  times  belonged  to  the  princely  house  of  Sa- 
velli,  and  is  now  in  the  possession  of  the  house  of 
Chigi.  Prince  Chigi  is  marshal  of  the  conclave. 
Under  his  command  are  the  troops,  who  are  stationed 
near  the  conclave  and  occupy  all  the  .entrances. 
During  the  conclave  he  lodges  in  a  building  near  the 
main  gate,  and  there  also  the  governor  of  the  con¬ 
clave,  who  is  always  a  prelate,  takes  up  his  abode. 
The  military  are  distributed  over  the  several  quar¬ 
ters  of  the  city  to  secure  tranquillity.  Finally,  the 
Cardinal-Chamberlain,  together  with  his  assistants, 
who  for  the  time  form  his  supreme  council,  remains 
always  in  the  conclave.  The  duration  of  a  conclave, 
as  we  shall  see  below  when  describing  the  election, 
cannot  be  even  approximately  determined  before- 


1 76 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


hand.  The  conclave  which  led  to  the  choice  of  Greg¬ 
ory  X.,in  1272,  lasted  three  years,  and  would  then 
not  have  ended  had  not  a  compromise  been  effected 
by  which  six  cardinals  were  intrusted  with  the  elec¬ 
tion.  Conclaves  that  lasted  several  months  were  fre¬ 
quent.  One  of  the  shortest  was  that  in  which  Pius 
IX.  was  chosen,  for  it  lasted  but  two  days. 

But  whether  the  conclave  be  long  or  short,  the 
greatest  precautions  are  taken  that  no  secret  com¬ 
munication  may  be  effected.  We  have  seen  that  ac¬ 
cess  to  the  cardinals  is  rendered  difficult,  and  secret 
conversation  impossible.  Even  the  ambassadors  of 
Catholic  powers  cannot  secretly  confer  with  any  car¬ 
dinal.  If  an  ambassador  has  any  thing  to  communi¬ 
cate  from  his  government,  he  must  inform  the  secre¬ 
tary  of  the  Sacred  College  of  it,  and  also  appoint  the 
time  at  which  he  desires  to  be  received.  Every  day 
three  cardinals — a  cardinal-bishop,  a  cardinal-priest, 
and  a  cardinal-deacon— are  chosen  to  give  audiences, 
and  to  these  the  governor  also  reports  the  affairs  of 
the  civil  administration.  At  the  hour  fixed  for  the 
reception,  the  ambassador  calls  on  the  marshal  and 
requests  him  to  receive  him  at  the  large  gate.  This 
reception  is  always  solemn.  A  numerous  suite  fol¬ 
lows  the  ambassador,  who  thus  discharges  his  duty 
publicly.  One  of  the  three  cardinals  of  the  council 
answers  the  ambassador’s  address,  generally  by 
expressing  his  thanks  for  the  interest  which  the 
power  concerned  takes  in  the  affairs  of  the  Church. 

An  easy  way  of  effecting  secret  communication 
would  be  offered  by  the  circumstance  that  the  cardi¬ 
nals’  meals  have  to  be  carried  into  the  conclave. 
Wherefore  a  very  exact  ceremonial  concerning  the 
delivery  of  meals  has  been  prescribed,  the  observance 
of  which  renders  futile  all  attempts  at  fraudulent  mes¬ 
sages. 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


177 


In  the  first  place  the  dumb-waiters,  by  which 
alone  the  meals  can  reach  the  cardinals,  are  watched 
and  sealed.  Every  day  at  noon  the  dishes  are  brought 
in  solemn  procession.  At  the  head  march  two  lack¬ 
eys  with  wooden  staves,  bearing  their  cardinal’s 
arms.  If  the  cardinal  was  created  by  the  lately 


CARRYING  FOOD  TO  THE  CONCLAVE. 


deceased  Pope  these  staves  are  violet,  otherwise 
they  are  green.  This  also  decides  the  color  of  the 
baskets  containing  the  dishes.  After  the  lackeys 
comes  a  valet-de-chambre  with  a  silver  staff,  which 
is  carried  inclined  if  his  cardinal  belongs  to  the  num¬ 
ber  of  those  nominated  by  the  deceased  Pope,  other¬ 
wise  it  is  held  upright.  Next  follow  some  knights, 
then  the  major-domo  and  the  cupbearer  ;  after  them 
two  lackeys,  who  carry  on  two  poles  the  basket  which 
contains  the  food.  As  the  number  of  cardinals  is 


1 78 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


great,  this  procession  has  quite  a  stately  appear- 
ance. 

When  the  procession  arrives  at  the  dumb-waiter 
the  seals  are  broken.  The  major-domo  steps  forth 
and  calls  out  the  name  of  his  cardinal,  and  one  of  the 
attendants  approaches  from  within  to  receive  the 
dishes,  which  are  first  examined  by  the  appointed 


EXAMINING  FOOD  IN  THE  CONCLAVE. 


prelates  to  see  that  they  contain  no  letters.  For  the 
same  reason  the  drink  is  furnished  in  uncovered 
crystal  bottles.  After  every  thing  has  been  examined, 
the  food  is  delivered  to  the  cardinal’s  attendant. 
This  done,  the  dumb-waiters  are  again  locked  and 
the  chief  master-of-ceremonies  seals  them  anew. 

There  are  also  regulations  concerning  the  kind 
of  food  which  the  cardinals  are  to  receive.  Gregory 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


179 


X.  ordained  that  they  should  complete  the  election 
in  three  days.  If  this  were  not  done,  for  the  follow¬ 
ing  five  days  they  should  receive  but  one  dish  for 
dinner  and  supper,  and  if  even  after  that  they  had 
not  come  to  a  decision,  they  should  receive  nothing 
but  bread,  water,  and  wine.  Clement  VI.  diminished 
the  severity  of  these  prescriptions  by  allowing  broth 
or  fish  soup,  meat,  fish,  or  eggs,  and  a  dish  of  salted 
meat,  together  with  fruits  and  cheese.  Clement  XII. , 
to  whom  this  appeared  too  lenient,  though  unwilling 
to  forbid  it,  yet  admonished  the  cardinals  anew  tc 
observe  frugality  and  moderation.  We  now  pro¬ 
ceed  to  the  description  of  what  is  done  in  the  con¬ 
clave  itself. 

As  soon  as  the  inclosure  in  conclave  is  accom¬ 
plished  the  first  act  is  the  oath  to  be  taken  by  all 
those  who  are  in  any  way  connected  with  it.  These 
are,  besides  the  cardinals,  their  attendants,  six  masters 
of-ceremonies,  with  a  servant  destined  for  them,  one 
or  several  confessors,  who  must  belong  to  some  relig¬ 
ious  order  ;  a  sacristan  and  his  aid,  besides  two  clerks 
who  help  them  ;  a  secretary,  with  two  assistants  and 
a  servant ;  two  physicians  and  a  surgeon  ;  an  apothe¬ 
cary,  with  two  assistants  ;  two  carpenters,  two  ma¬ 
sons,  two  barbers,  with  assistants,  and  thirty-five  va¬ 
lets  for  general  service.  Ail  these  persons  bind  them¬ 
selves  by  oath  to  observe  secrecy  and  fulfil  their  du¬ 
ties  conscientiously.  On  the  same  evening,  as  soon 
as  the  conclave  is  closed,  torches  are  lit,  and  the  Car¬ 
dinal-Chamberlain  with  a  master  of  ceremonies  exam¬ 
ines  all  the  cells  that  no  person  not  belonging  to  the 
conclave  may  remain.  In  the  same  way  they  make 
sure  that  all  is  locked,  and  that  unobserved  correspon¬ 
dence  cannot  take  place.  All  this  is  then  recorded. 

But  the  conclave  is  not  satisfied  with  one  visit. 
Twice  every  day  two  cardinals  walk  through  the 


180  THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 

entire  inclosure  to  ascertain  that  no  opening  has 
been  made  in  the  walls.  To  such  a  degree  is  carried 
the  solicitude  with  which  the  conclave  watches  over 
its  seclusion.  But  if,  in  spite  of  all  these  precautions, 
it  should  become  apparent  after  the  election  that  a 
communication  from  without  had  been  effected  in  a 
way  of  which  nothing  was  known,  or  which  was 
overlooked,  the  election  already  finished  is  not  there¬ 
by  rendered  invalid.  It  is  then  supposed  that  an  en¬ 
trance,  which  nobody  thought  of  or  knew  has  in 
reality  not  been  had,  especially  if  no  trace  of  it  can 
be  found  in  the  conclave. 

The  following  day  begins  the  election,  in  which  all 
the  cardinals  present  in  the  conclave  have  the  right 
as  well  as  the  obligation  to  take  part.  They  need  no 
longer  wait  for  the  arrival  of  the  cardinals  out  of 
Rome.  But  if  any  arrive  after  the  conclave  has  been 
locked,  but  before  the  end  of  the  election,  they  have 
the  right  to  enter  and  take  part  in  the  election 
till  it  is  finished.  In  this  case  they  enter  the  con¬ 
clave  solemnly,  as  the  cardinals  did  who  are  already 
within.  Nothing  can  prevent  a  cardinal  from  exer¬ 
cising  the  right  of  election,  not  even,  as  has  been  said 
already,  the  censure  of  excommunication.  The  only 
requisite  is  that  he  be  sound  in  mind  and  have  re¬ 
ceived  the  order  of  deacon. 

But  if  the  cardinals’  right  of  voting  is  not  to  be 
impeded  or  limited  by  any  thing,  the  passive  right  of 
election,  that  is,  the  capability  of  being  elected  Pope, 
is  still  less  limited.  The  cardinals  are  free  to  choose 
any  one  whom  they  deem  the  most  worthy,  and  it 
may  be  said  that  if,  on  the  one  hand  they  must  fol¬ 
low  the  voice  of  their  conscience,  on  the  other  they 
are  not  bound  to  any  thing  else. 

It  has  been  the  custom  since  Urban  VI.  to  choose 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


181 

the  Pope  from  the  ranks  of  the  cardinals,  and  this  is 
so  well  established  that  it  is  expressed  on  the  ballot, 
where  we  find  the  words,  “  Eligo  Cardinalem,”  “  I 
choose  the  cardinal  N.  N.”  But  a  law  declaring  all 
other  choice  invalid  does  not  exist.  It  is  not  even 
required  that  the  person  elected  be  a  priest.  The 
celebrated  canonist,  Phillips,  says  that  even  a  mar¬ 
ried  layman  may  be  chosen.  Only  unbaptized  per¬ 
sons  and  heretics  are  excluded.  It  need  not  be  said 
that  the  cardinals  cannot  choose  a  woman,  a  child,  or 
one  that  is  insane.  For  though  the  person  elected  is 
not  required  to  be  ordained  before  the  election,  he 
must  be  capable  of  ordination  when  elected.  An 
election  brought  about  by  simony  is  void.  But  even 
in  this  case  the  person  elected  remains  Pope  if 
another  has  given  money  for. votes  against  the  will 
or  without  the  knowledge  of  the  candidate,  or  even 
with  the  intention  of  rendering  the  election  impossi¬ 
ble. 

The  voting  takes  place  twice  a  day,  once  in  the 
morning  and  once  in  the  afternoon.  A  master  of 
ceremonies  gives  a  sign  with  the  bell  ;  then  he  cries 
out  with  a  loud  voice  :  “  Ad  capellam  Domini.”  In 
the  morning  this  is  done  at  six  o’clock.  As  soon  as 
the  master  of  ceremonies  has  given  the  signal,  an 
assistant  of  each  cardinal  steps  forth  from  his  cell  and 
carries  his  cardinal’s  writing  materials  into  the  chapel. 
Another  assistant  holds  the  cardinal’s  mantle.  This 
is  a  garment  which  every  cardinal  puts  on  as  soon  as 
he  enters  the  chapel.  It  resembles  in  form  the  ordi¬ 
nary  cloak  worn  by  monks,  and  has  a  cowl,  one  end 
of  which  is  drawn  over  the  head.  This  mantle  is 
called  Croica. 

In  the  chapel  each  cardinal  takes  his  seat,  the  first 
cardinal-bishop  occupying  the  highest  seat  to  the  left 


1 82  THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 

of  the  entrance  ;  the  first  cardinal-deacon,  the  oppo 
site  one  on  the  right.  The  seats  are  draped  in  green, 
and  the  floor  of  the  chapel  is  covered  with  a  green 
carpet.  Before  the  seat  stands  a  desk,  which  serves 
at  the  same  time  for  writing  and  for  praying.  It 
bears  the  cardinal’s  arms.  There  is  a  flue  leading 
from  the  chapel  to  the  roof,  and  when  the  ballot  has 
not  decided  the  election,  the  smoke  from  the  burning 
tickets  gives  notice  to  the  people  without  that  a  Pope 
has  not  yet  been  chosen. 

The  election  itself  begins  with  the  Mass  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  which  is  said  by  the  sacristan  of  the  con¬ 
clave,  an  Augustinian  friar  ;  after  it  the  cardinals’ 
assistants  must  leave,  and  the  cardinals  remain  alone. 

The  election  can  be  performed  in  three  ways 
only  : 

1.  By  quasi-inspiration. 

2.  By  compromise. 

3.  By  ballot,  including  what  is  called  the  “  Ac- 
cessus.  ” 

All  these  three  ways  have  their  rules  and  their 
peculiarities,  from  which  it  is  not  allowed  to  deviate. 
If  God  would  choose  His  representative  by  means  of 
real  inspiration,  and  make  this  direct  interference 
unmistakably  evident  by  miracle,  then  all  human 
ways  would  be  superfluous,  and  he  would  be  the 
Pope  whom  heaven  had  thus  made  known.  But 
when  such  an  inspiration  is  only  probable,  even 
though,  according  to  human  reasoning,  it  may  be 
evident,  the  Church  is  extremely  cautious,  and  calls  it 
only  a  quasi-inspiration,  subjects  it  to  a  number  of 
tests,  and  uses  with  regard  to  it  all  possible  precau¬ 
tions. 

For  this  as  well  as  every  other  form  of  election  it 
is  requisite  that  the  conclave  be  strictly  inclosed. 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION 


133 


No  canvassing  whatever  or  previous  deliberation 
concerning  the  candidate  must  have  taken  place. 
As  soon  as  his  name  is  called  out  by  the  one  who 
is  impelled  to  nominate  him,  all  the  cardinals  pres¬ 
ent  must  immediately  and  without  further  thought 
give  their  consent.  If  a  single  one  hesitates,  a 
quasi-inspiration  is  not  accepted,  even  though  he 
should  assent  afterwards.  Not  even  a  discussion 
about  using  this  mode  of  election  is  allowed.  Like 
lightning  the  thought  strikes  all  that  the  person  pro¬ 
posed  is  the  most  worthy.  Should  a  cardinal  by 
chance  be  unable  to  speak,  he  must  immediately 
write  the  name  of  the  elect ;  and  if  he  cannot  even 
write,  this  must  be  done  by  another  cardinal.  Not 
even  the  shadow  of  a  doubt  should  occur  that  the 
agreement  was  instantaneous  and  unanimous.  If 
there  are  cardinals  so  sick  as  to  be  unable  to  leave 
their  cells,  they  are  forthwith  informed  of  the  result, 
and  must  instantly  consent.  Any  objection,  hesitation, 
or  deliberation,  renders  the  election  by  quasi-inspi¬ 
ration  invalid.  But  this  nullity  would  not  be  caused 
by  previous  general  consultations  held,  not  about  the 
person  thus  elected  or  the  form  of  election,  but  only 
about  the  qualities  required  in  a  candidate.  If,  for 
example,  the  cardinals  have  agreed  beforehand  to  re¬ 
quire  in  the  future  Pope  a  special  firmness  or  mildness 
or  erudition  or  practical  acquaintance  with  public 
affairs,  and  then  a  name  is  proposed  to  which  all 
forthwith  give  their  support,  such  a  choice  would 
be  valid.  In  like  manner  they  might  agree  not  to 
choose  this  or  that  one,  as  is  the  case  when  the 
“  exclusiva”  is  brought  to  bear.  This  would  not 
impede  the  subsequent  election  of  another  by  quasi¬ 
inspiration. 

The  second  form  of  election  is  by  compromise. 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


184 

In  the  case  of  quasi-inspiration  all  consultation  in 
regard  to  this  method  of  election  renders  the  election 
itself  invalid  ;  but  the  contrary  is  the  case  in  the  com¬ 
promise.  This  method  of  election  absolutely  requires 
a  previous  agreement  about  it ;  that  is  to  say,  all  the 
cardinals  must  have  given  their  consent  to  choose  the 
Pope  by  way  of  compromise. 

The  essence  of  this  method  of  election  consists 
especially  in  this,  that  the  assembly  nominates  sev¬ 
eral  persons,  to  whom  the  power  of  electing  the  Pope 
is  deputed. 

Those  in  whom  this  power  is  vested  are  called 
“  Compromissarii.  ”  The  number  of  these  is  gener¬ 
ally  more  than  two.  Moreover,  it  is  a  law  that  these 
Compromissarii  be  cardinals ;  still,  if  the  assembly 
should  delegate  others,  not  of  that  order,  the  election 
would  not  thereby  be  rendered  invalid.  Laymen  and 
excommunicated  clerics  are  excluded  from  the  number 
of  the  electors.  The  assembly  gives  its  instructions  to 
the  Compromissarii,  on  the  manner  in  which  they  are 
to  carry  on  the  election.  These  instructions,  how¬ 
ever,  should  contain  nothing  contrary  to  the  customs 
and  laws  prescribed  for  such  elections.  They  could 
not,  for  instance,  come  to  a  decision  by  lot. 

The  electors  are  to  observe  strictly  the  instruc¬ 
tions  given,  provided,  as  was  mentioned,  they  are  not 
contrary  to  the  established  laws  and  customs.  They 
can  raise  to  the  papacy  whomsoever  they  wish,  in 
whatever  manner  they  deem  best,  whether  it  be  by 
what  is  called  adoration  or  by  the  ballot.  They 
can  choose  any  member  of  the  conclave  if  they  find  a 
worthy  candidate.  The  only  restriction  is,  that  he 
who  deposits  a  ballot  may  not  vote  for  himself.  And 
hence  it  follows  that  if  there  were  but  two  electors 
neither  of  these  could  be  elected,  as  the  votes  could 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION.  1 85 

not  centre  on  either  of  them.  When  there  are  three, 
one  of  the  three  may  be  elected. 

In  regard  to  the  manner  in  which  the  election 
is  to  be  carried  on  by  the  Compromissarii,  we 
find  that  no  more  is  prescribed  than  that  they  sol¬ 
emnly  swear  that  they  will  give  their  votes  to  the 
person  whom  they  think  best  qualified,  that  they 
retire  into  seclusion  and  assemble  twice  each  day. 
He  who  is  elected  by  these  Compromissarii  is  the 
rightful  Pope,  provided  the  electors  have  exactly 
observed  all  the  injunctions. 

As  an  example  illustrative  of  the  first  method  we 
mention  the  election  of  Clement  X.,a  descendant  of 
the  house  of  the  Altieri,  in  1670.  As  the  cardinals 
who  were  assembled  in  conclave  were  leaving  the 
chapel  after  a  fruitless  ballot,  the  populace  assembled 
without  suddenly  raised  the  cry,  “  Altieri  Papa 
and  thus  by  a  quasi-inspiration,  Clement  was  made 
Pope.  It  has  also  happened  that  the  vacant  see  was 
filled  by  a  compromise.  We  have  already  alluded  to 
the  election  of  Gregory  X.  The  conclave  had  been 
in  seclusion  for  three  years,  and  no  determination 
had  been  arrived  at.  This  long  delay  was  sud¬ 
denly  done  away  with  by  the  appointment  of  six  car¬ 
dinals  as  an  electoral  committee,  who  gave  the  tiara 
to  the  Archdeacon  of  Liege,  Theobald,  Viscount  of 
Piacenza,  who  at  that  time  was  at  Acre  with  the 
army  of  the  crusaders. 

Such  elections,  though  not  according  to  rules  laid 
down,  are  nevertheless  valid,  being  considered  as 
just  departures  from  the  ordinary  laws  and  customs. 

The  usual  manner  of  electing  the  Pope  is  by  ballot. 
The  candidate  who  receives  two  thirds  of  the  votes 
is  elected  Pope.  If,  however,  he  who  has  received 
two  thirds  has  deposited  a  vote  for  himself,  and 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


1 86 

if  independently  of  this  vote  he  has  not  the  two 
thirds,  he  is  not  considered  legally  elected.  Thus,  if 
there  are  forty-eight  electors,  thirty-two  votes  will 
be  required  to  form  the  two  thirds.  He,  therefore, 
who  has  thirty-two  votes,  among  which  is  found  his 
own  ballot,  has  not  received  the  requisite  number. 

If  it  should  happen  that  no  such  majority  of  votes 
can  be  reached,  the  electors  have  recourse  to  another 
method  of  balloting,  termed  the  “Accessus.”  In 
this  all  the  votes  are  made  to  centre  upon  those  who 
in  the  previous  ballots  received  the  greatest  number 
of  votes.  Then  each  of  the  voters  can  cast  his  ballot 
for  one  of  these  candidates.  Those,  however,  who 
do  not  wish  to  change  their  previous  choice,  vote  for 
the  same,  merely  adding  on  their  ballot  that  they  do 
not  “  accede”  to  any  of  the  prominent  candidates. 
But  if  one  of  the  candidates  in  this  mode  of  election 
obtains  two  thirds  of  the  votes  he  is  by  that  fact 
elected.  However,  by  thus  limiting  the  number  of 
candidates,  it  may  happen  that  two  of  them  in  the 
same  ballot  receive  votes  enough  to  elect  them.  In 
this  emergency  he  who  has  the  greater  number  of 
votes  over  and  above  the  two  thirds  is  elected. 
Should  there  be  no  majority  of  votes  throughout  the 
election,  i. e. ,  should  it  happen  that  none  of  the  can¬ 
didates  receives  the  necessary  number,  all  the  pro¬ 
ceedings  are  cancelled,  the  ballots  are  burnt,  and  a 
new  election  is  entered  upon. 

The  ballot  in  the  afternoon  at  two  o’clock  is 
performed  in  the  same  manner  which  was  observed 
in  the  morning.  The  master  of  ceremonies,  ring¬ 
ing  his  bell,  makes  his  rounds,  calling  the  cardi¬ 
nals  “Ad  Capellam  Domini.”  The  votes  are  cast, 
and  if  the  election  is  not  effected,  recourse  is 
again  had  to  the  accessus .  In  fact,  every  thing  is  done 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


187 


in  the  same  manner  as  in  the  morning,  with  this 
exception,  that  the  “  Veni  Creator  Spiritus”  takes 
the  place  of  the  Mass  of  the  Holy  Ghost  at  the 
beginning  of  the  election. 

Thus  we  see  that  the  conclave  meets  twice  each 
day  until  some  candidate  receives  the  majority  of  the 
ballots. 

Before  proceeding  to  particulars,  it  may  be  sat¬ 
isfactory  to  our  readers  to  show  how  two  candidates 
at  the  acccssus  can  obtain  two  thirds,  or  more  than 
two  thirds,  which  at  first  sight  may  seem  impossible. 

Let  us  suppose  that  there  are  forty-eight  cardinals 
in  conclave,  of  whom  thirty  have  given  their  votes  to 
Cardinal  A.,  and  eighteen  to  Cardinal  B.  If  now,  at 
the  acccssus,  two  or  more  give  their  votes  to  Cardi¬ 
nal  A.,  and  the  rest  abide  by  their  former  votes,  it  is 
evident  that  Cardinal  A.  would  be  elected,  as  he 
has  thirty- two  of  the  ballots,  or  two  thirds  ;  B.,  on 
the  contrary,  having  only  eighteen. 

Supposing,  however,  that  at  the  acccssus  eighteen 
of  the  cardinals  give  their  vote  to  B. ,  the  others  abiding 
by  their  given  ballot  ;  Cardinal  B.  would  count  thirty- 
six  voices  in  his  favor,  whereas  A.  would  have  only 
thirty.  The  Cardinal  B.,  in  this  case,  would  be  Pope. 
But  again,  it  may  be  that  in  the  ballot  Cardinal  A. 
obtains  six  additional  votes,  and  Cardinal  B.  twenty  ; 
so  that  A.  would  count  thirty-six,  and  B.  thirty- 
eight.  Thus  both  have  received  two  thirds,  but  B. 
would  be  elected,  having  the  greater  number  of  bal¬ 
lots.  We  see,  therefore,  that  at  the  acccssus  two 
candidates  may  obtain  the  two  thirds,  and  it  is  ap¬ 
parent  also  how  they  may  both  have  the  same  number 
of  ballots,  and  then  recourse  must  be  had  to  another 
election. 

We  will  proceed  now  to  show  in  detail  how  the 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


188 

election  is  carried  on.  We  class  the  proceedings 
under  the  following  three  heads  : 

ist.  What  precedes  the  balloting. 

2d.  The  ballot  itself. 

3d.  All  that  follows  the  ballot,  including  the  ac - 
cessus,  if  it  be  necessary  to  have  recourse  to  it. 

In  the  first  place,  we  will  briefly  allude  to  those 
things  which  precede  the  ballot.  And  first,  the  for¬ 
mulas  or  balloting  tickets  are  carefully  prepared. 
A  description  of  these  will  be  given  hereafter.  These 
formulas  are  placed  in  a  silver  salver,  on  a  table,  in 
the  centre  of  the  chapel  where  the  election  takes 
place.  With  them  is  a  bag  containing  as  many 
wooden  balls  as  there  are  cardinals  present  in  the 
conclave.  Each  of  these  balls  has  inscribed  upon  it 
the  name  of  one  of  the  cardinals.  The  youngest  car¬ 
dinal-deacon  then  steps  up  to  the  table,  takes  the  bag 
and  draws  from  it  nine  balls.  The  three  cardinals 
whose  names  are  on  the  first  three  balls  are  elected 
as  “  Scrutatores”  or  inspectors.  The  three  following 
as  “  Infirmarii,”  whose  duty  it  is  to  gather  the  votes  of 
such  cardinals  as  may  chance  to  be  sick  in  their  cells. 
The  last  three  are  to  fill  the  office  of  “  Recognitores,” 
or  revisers.  It  is  the  duty  of  these  to  examine  the 
proceedings  and  attest  the  correctness  of  all  that  has 
been  done. 

These  officers  being  chosen,  the  formulas  or  bal¬ 
loting  tickets  are  distributed  among  the  electors.  It 
may  be  remarked  that  if  these  ballots  are  not  printed, 
it  is  prescribed  that  they  be  all  written  by  one  per¬ 
son.  They  are  usually  six  inches  in  length  and  five 
in  width.  The  cardinals  fill  up  the  blanks  that  have 
been  left,  disguising  their  writing,  the  better  to 
observe  secrecy.  The  ballot  is  divided  into  eight 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


189 


sections.  In  the  first, 
he  who  fills  the  paper 
signs  his  own  name  thus: 
“Ego  N.  N.  .  .  . 

Cardinalis.’’  The  second 
is  a  blank  not  to  be  writ¬ 
ten  upon  ;  the  third  con¬ 
tains  two  spaces  for  seal¬ 
ing  the  ballot.  The 
fourth  contains  the' 
words,  “  Eligo  in  sum- 
mum  Pontificem,  E.  D. 
meum  D.  Cardinalem” 
— that  is  :  “I  elect  my 
Lord  Cardinal  .  .  . 

to  the  dignity  of  Su¬ 
preme  Pontiff.”  He 
who  casts  the  vote,  after 
the  word  “Cardinal” 
inserts  the  name  of  him 
whom  he  deems  most 
deserving  of  the  dig¬ 
nity.  The  fifth  section 
is  again  left  vacant,  and 
on  the  sixth  are  two 
spaces  lor  seals  corre¬ 
sponding  to  the  third. 
On  the  seventh  the  elec¬ 
tor  writes  a  motto,  gen¬ 
erally  composed  of  a 
number  and  some  verse 
trom  the  Scriptures. 
This  motto  must  be 
retained  in  the  acces- 
sus.  The  eighth  sec- 


E<So  Cardinalis 


0  0 

Eligo  in  sununum  Pontifi¬ 
cem  E  B..menm  D.  Car¬ 
dinalem  . 


0  0 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


190 

tion  is  again  a  blank.  The  reverse  of  this  formula  is 
completely  covered  with  devices,  so  as  to  render  it 
impossible  to  read  what  is  written  on  the  inside.  On 
the  upper  margin  is  the  word  “  Nomen,”  and  on  the 
lower,  “  Signa.  ”  Each  of  the  electors  fills  up  the  for¬ 
mula  at  the  centre  table,  and  there,  as  it  were,  in  the 


DEPOSITING  BALLOTS  IN  THE  CONCLAVE. 


presence  of  all,  gives  his  vote.  If  an  elector  is  not  able 
to  write  his  vote,  another  having  previously  taken  an 
oath  that  what  he  will  hear  and  write  shall  be  secret, 
writes  the  vote  of  the  disabled  elector.  As  soon  as  a 
ballot  has  been  filled  it  is  folded  in  such  a  manner  that 
nothing  is  visible  but  that  section  on  which  the  word 
“  Eligo”  is  written.  The  electors  are  forbidden, 
under  pain  of  losing  their  ballots,  to  use  their  ordi¬ 
nary  seal.  They  are  required  to  have  a  special  seal 
for  the  occasion. 

We  proceed  now  to  the  counting  of  the  baJlots. 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


I9I 

The  three  inspectors  take  their  seats  near  the  altar, 
upon  which  a  very  large  chalice  and  paten  are  placed. 
The  Cardinal-Dean  hereupon  rises,  takes  his  ballot, 
and  raising  it  aloft  approaches  the  altar,  kneels  and 
prays  ;  then  rising  he  says  aloud  :  “  Testor  Chris¬ 
tum  Dominum,  qui  me  judicaturus  est,  me  eligere, 
quern  secundum  Deum  judico  eligi  debere,  et  quod 
idem  in  accessu  praestabo.  ”  “  I  take  Christ  our 

Lord  to  witness  that  I  vote  for  the  one  whom,  in  the 
sight  of  God,  I  judge  worthy,  and  I  will  do  the  same 
in  case  the  accessus  be  used.”  Having  spoken,  he 
places  the  sealed  ballot  on  the  paten  and  drops  it  from 
the  paten  into  the  chalice.  This  done,  he  retires  to 
his  place.  After  him  all  the  electors  in  the  order 
of  seniority  do  the  same.  If  there  are  any  of  the 
cardinals  sick  in  their  cells,  the  “  infirmarii  ”  place 
their  own  votes  in  the  chalice  immediately  after 
the  dean,  and  then  proceed  to  the  fulfilment  of  their 
office.  Taking  a  little  casket,  which  has  a  small  open¬ 
ing  in  the  lid  sufficiently  large  to  allow  a  ballot  to  be 
dropped  in,  they  go  to  the  altar,  unlock  the  casket, 
and  having  shown  that  it  is  empty  they  relock  it,  and 
leaving  the  key  on  the  altar,  proceed  to  the  cells  of 
the  sick  cardinals.  Each  of  the  sick  electors  receives 
a  formula,  fills  up  the  blanks,  seals  it,  and  drops  it 
into  the  casket.  The  “  infirmarii”  then  return  to 
the  chapel,  open  the  casket,  and  count  in  a  loud  voice 
the  number  of  ballots.  The  ballots  are  then  dropped 
from  the  paten  into  the  chalice.  If  there  are  any 
present  who  are  unable  to  advance  to  the  alt"’-,  the 
third  inspector  carries  the  chalice  to  them,  who,  hav¬ 
ing  pronounced  the  words,  “Testor,”  etc.,  deposit 
their  vote  in  the  chalice.  If  a  cardinal  is  so  sick  as 
to  lose  consciousness,  he  is  considered  as  not  being 
present. 


192 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


All  the  ballots  now  being-  in  the  chalice,  the  first  in- 
spector  covers  the  chalice  with  the  paten  and  shakes 
it.  This  action,  though  not  necessary  for  the  validity 
of  the  election,  is  neverthless  observed  in  order  to  in¬ 
sure  still  further  secrecy. 

After  this  the  third  inspector  counts  the  ballots, 
by  taking  one  after  another  from  the  chalice  into 
which  they  had  been  deposited,  and  placing  them 
into  another.  This  counting  must  be  done  in  a  loud 
voice,  so  that  all  present  may  easily  hear.  If  the 
number  of  ballots  does  not  agree  with  the  number  of 
electors,  the  ballots  are  burnt  and  a  new  vote  is 
taken.  It  may  happen  that  when  the  number  of  bal¬ 
lots  does  not  agree  with  the  number  of  electors,  the 
cardinals  do  not  burn  the  ballots,  but  endeavor  to 
discover  the  cause  of  the  difference.  This  they  may 
be  inclined  to  do,  especially  when  the  conclave  has 
already  lasted  a  long  time,  and  when  they  see  a  pos¬ 
sibility  of  the  votes  concentrating  on  some  very  de¬ 
serving  candidate.  To  cause  such  a  discrepancy  be¬ 
tween  the  number  of  electors  and  that  of  the  ballots  is 
severely  prohibited  under  sin,  and  in  case  the  number 
of  ballots  exceeds  that  of  the  electors,  even  under 
pain  of  excommunication,  although  the  validity  of 
such  an  election  could  not  be  called  in  question.  If 
the  ballots  fall  short  of  the  number  of  the  electors,  he 
who  receives  the  necessary  two  thirds  independently 
of  his  own  ballot  is  elected.  Hence  if  out  of  forty- 
eight,  one  should,  without  reckoning  his  own  vote, 
receive  thirty-two,  he  would  be  rightly  elected,  even 
supposing  that  the  full  number  of  forty-eight  votes 
were  not  deposited  in  the  chalice.  If,  on  the  con¬ 
trary,  fifty  ballots  have  been  given — two  more  than 
the  number  of  the  electors — he  who  is  elected  must 
have  thirty-four  of  the  votes.  It  is  manifest  that  both 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


193 


these  cases  rest  on  the  fact  that  the  elect  has  evi¬ 
dently  secured  two  thirds  of  the  votes.  But  when  no 
such  result  follows,  there  can  be  no  question  of  an 
election  by  accessus ;  and  the  ballots  are  destroyed. 

If  the  balloting  is  found  correct,  the  result  is  pub¬ 
lished.  The  first  inspector  takes  up  a  ballot  and 
reads,  though  not  aloud,  the  name,  which  alone  is 
visible  ;  the  second  does  the  same,  and  passes  it  to 
the  third,  who  takes  it,  and  with  a  loud  voice  pro¬ 
claims  the  name.  Every  cardinal  takes  down  the 
name  in  writing.  Should  two  ballots  be  found  in¬ 
serted  into  one  another,  if  they  are  for  different  per¬ 
sons  they  are  not  counted  ;  if  both  bear  the  same 
name  they  count  as  one  ballot.  The  third  inspector 
having  read  the  name,  passes  a  needle  through  that 
part  of  the  ballot  where  the  word  “  Eligo”  is  seen, 
allowing  the  ballot  to  slide  down  the  string  attached 
to  the  needle.  This  he  does  with  every  vote,  and 
then  knotting  the  ends  of  the  string  replaces  all  the 
ballots  in  the  chalice. 

With  this  closes  the  ballot.  The  inspectors  pro¬ 
ceed  to  examine  more  minutely  the  result  of  the 
votes.  It  may  happen  : 

1st.  That  the  two  thirds  are  absolutely  certain  ;  if 
so,  the  closing  ceremonies  of  the  election  take  place. 

2d.  That  the  requisite  number  has  not  been  ob¬ 
tained  ;  then  follows  the  cicccssus. 

3d.  That  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  two  thirds  have 
been  obtained.  This  doubt  must  then  be  settled,  to 
determine  whether  the  closing  ceremonies  or  the  ac¬ 
ccssus  should  follow. 

In  regard  to  the  last  case,  it  is  always  uncertain 
whether  he  who  has  two  thirds  did  not  in  balloting 
deposit  a  vote  for  himself.  Hence  his  own  ballot  is 
opened,  and  if  he  has  voted  for  himself  he  is  con- 


194 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


sidered  as  not  having  received  the  requisite  majority. 
It  may  also  be  the  case  that  an  incapacitated  cardinal 
has  given  a  vote.  His  vote  will  be  opened  in  order 
to  discover  whether  he  has  voted  lor  the  cardinal 
who  has  just  received  the  two  thirds. 

Now  when  all  doubt  has  been  removed,  and  it  is 
certain  that  two  thirds  have  been  obtained,  the  three 
“  recognitores,”  or  revisers,  step  forward  to  review 
the  proceedings,  and  to  compare  the  ballots  with  the 
various  signs  and  mottoes  previously  made.  This 
having  been  done,  the  ballots  are  burnt. 

If  the  majority  has  not  been  obtained,  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  is  given  to  secure  it  by  the  accesstis. 

The  accessus  is  subject  to  the  same  formality  as 
the  ballot.  No  oath,  however,  is  administered,  as  the 
one  taken  before  the  ballot  is  also  binding  during 
the  accessus.  The  formula  of  the  ballot  differs  in 
this  that  it  is  worded,  “  Ego  Cardinalis  N.  N.  accedo 
Domino  meo  Cardinali  N.  N.”  It  is  evident  that 
only  they  give  such  votes  who  have  received  at  least 
one  valid  vote  in  the  balloting  ;  and  they  give  them 
for  another  candidate  than  the  one  for  whom  they 
voted  in  the  ballot.  If  a  cardinal  does  not  wish  to 
exercise  this  right  of  voting,  he  fills  up  the  formula 
with  the  words,  “  Accedo  nemini.”  The  manner  of 
writing,  folding,  and  depositing  this  vote,  and  all 
other  ceremonies,  are  the  same  as  those  observed 
during  the  regular  ballot.  If  an  accessus ,  owing  to 
some  circumstance,  is  declared  invalid,  it  is  imme¬ 
diately  repeated,  otherwise  but  one  accessus  fol¬ 
lows  each  ballot.  The  counting  of  the  ballots,  how¬ 
ever,  is  peculiar.  The  votes  of  the  regular  ballot 
and  those  of  the  accessus  are  counted  together. 
If  the  requisite  majority  is  not  reached  the  revisers 
simply  review  the  counting,  and  having  burnt  the 
ballots  declare  the  accessus  ended. 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


195 


If,  however,  two  thirds  centre  on  an  individual 
(and,  as  we  have  seen,  these  two  thirds  may  even  be 
obtained  by  two  candidates),  the  ballots  are  exam¬ 
ined  again  in  order  to  verify  the  proceedings.  This 
can  only  be  done  by  comparing  the  seals  and  mottoes 
of  those  ballots  given  in  the  morning  with  those  just 
deposited  in  the  acccssus.  This  is  generally  done  as 
follows  : 

The  first  inspector  takes  the  cord  upon  which 
have  been  strung  the  ballots  of  the  acccssi/s,  and 
loosening  the  first,  opens  it  in  such  a  manner  that 
only  the  mottoes,  seals,  numbers,  verses  and  the  like 
become  visible.  Taking  a  record  of  these,  he  passes 
the  ballot  to  the  second  inspector,  who  does  the 
same,  and  hands  it  to  the  third,  who  reads  them 
aloud,  all  the  cardinals  taking  a  note  of  them.  The 
legend  of  the  seal  used  for  closing  the  ticket  is  also 
noticed,  and  with  the  help  of  this  it  is  easy  to  find  a 
corresponding  ballot  from  the  cord  holding  the 
tickets  of  the  ballot.  This  latter  is  opened  and  com¬ 
pared  with  its  counterpart,  whence  it  will  readily  ap¬ 
pear  whether  both  ballots  have  been  deposited  by  the 
same  elector.  If  these  two  ballots  bear  the  name  of 
the  same  candidate,  the  vote  given  at  the  accessus  is 
null.  If  not,  then  the  vote  of  the  regular  ballot  is  pub¬ 
lished  aloud,  the  name  of  the  candidate  it  bears,  to¬ 
gether  with  the  motto.  All  these  are  carefully  noted 
down.  The  ballots  having  been  thus  examined  and 
compared,  he  who  has  received  two  thirds,  or  when 
several  have  gained  the  requisite  number,  he  who  has 
the  greatest  number  of  votes,  is  declared  lawfully 
elected  to  the  dignity  of  Head  of  the  Church.  The 
ballots  are  burnt  and  the  conclave  is  at  an  end.  It 
yet  remains  to  obtain  the  consent  of  the  elected  car¬ 
dinal,  and  when  that  is  ascertained,  to  give  him  the 


196 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


honors  prescribed.  Hence  a  great  many  ceremonies 
are  yet  to  be  gone  through  before  the  electors  leave 
the  chapel. 

As  soon,  therefore,  as  it  is  evident  that  a  cardinal 
has  two  thirds  of  the  votes,  the  inspectors  announce 
the  fact,  and  the  junior  cardinal  goes  to  the  door  of 
the  chapel  and  there  rings  the  bell  which  summons 
the  master  of  ceremonies,  together  with  the  secreta¬ 
ries  of  the  conclave.  They  present  themselves  to  the 
Cardinal-Dean,  in  whose  company  and  that  of  the 
senior  cardinal-priest  and  the  senior  deacon  they 
go  to  the  cardinal-elect.  Standing  before  him,  the 
Cardinal-Dean  says  :  “  Acceptasne  electionem  de  te 
canonice  factam  in  summum  Pontificem  ?”  “Dost 
thou  accept  the  election  canonically  made  of  thee  as 
Supreme  Pontiff  ?’’  If  the  cardinal  does  not  imme¬ 
diately  answer,  the  question  is  repeated  three  times. 
Then  the  elected  cardinal  kneels  down  and  prays.  If 
he  should  refuse,  the  chair  would  again  be  vacant  ;  if, 
however,  he  says,  “  Accepto,”  the  Cardinal-Dean 
genuflects,  and  the  first  master  of  ceremonies  claps 
his  hands,  at  which  signal  all  the  cardinals  rise  and 
remain  standing.  The  new  Pope,  when  expressing 
his  acceptance  of  his  election,  at  the  same  time  states 
the  name  bv  which  he  wishes  to  be  styled  as  Pope. 
A  record  of  all  these  proceedings  is  taken  by  the 
first  master  of  ceremonies.  This  is  read  aloud  and  is 
then  signed  by  him  and  the  secretaries  of  the  con¬ 
clave. 

The  elect  is  then  conducted  by  the  oldest  cardinal- 
deacons  to  the  altar,  and  after  a  short  prayer  is  led  to 
the  sacristy.  Having  taken  off  his  cardinalitial  ring 
and  put  on  the  white  stockings,  red  velvet  shoes, 
white  cassock,  velvet  crimson  mozzetta,  stole,  and 
white  skull  cap,  he  is  led  forth  to  the  altar,  on  the 


THE  ILLUMINATION  OF  ROME. 


Page  197. 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


I99 


platform  of  which  a  chair  has  been  placed.  Having 
seated  himself  he  receives  “  the  obedience”  of  the 
cardinals,  each  kissing  his  foot  and  hand,  and  then 
receiving  his  embrace.  When  the  Cardinal-Cham¬ 
berlain  pays  his  homage,  he  places  on  the  Pope’s 
finger  ‘‘the  Fisherman’s  Ring,”  which  the  Pope  im¬ 
mediately  returns  to  him.  It  is  tnen  delivered  to  the 
chief  master  of  ceremonies,  who  is  to  have  engraved 
upon  it  the  name  chosen  by  the  new  Pope.  The  offi¬ 
cers  of  the  conclave  having  been  admitted,  and  having 
done  homage,  the  senior  cardinal-deacon  asks  the 
Pope’s  permission  to  proclaim  the  election.  Pre¬ 
ceded  by  the  processional  cross  and  mace  bearers, 
he  goes  to  the  balcony  over  the  main  portal  of  the 
Quirinal  or  of  the  Vatican  (the  masons  having  pre¬ 
viously  removed  the  wall  that  had  been  erected  at 
the  beginning  of  the  conclave),  the  cardinal-deacon 
steps  toward  and  in  a  loud  voice  says  :  “  Annuntio 
vobis  gaudium  magnum  ;  Papam  habemus  Eminen- 
tissimum  ac  Reverendissimum  Dominum  N.  N.,  qui 
sibi  imposuit  nomen  N.  N.”  ‘‘I  bring  you  tidings 

of  great  joy.  We  have  as  Pope  the  most  Eminent  and 
Reverend  my  Lord  Cardinal  N.  N.,  who  has  assumed 
the  name  of  N.  N.” 

No  sooner  have  the  words  been  spoken  than  the 
thundering  salutes  of  St.  Angelo’s  announce  the 
happy  tidings  far  and  wide.  From  the  vast  popu¬ 
lace  a  deafening  “  viva”  arises,  while  from  every 
tower  of  the  city  the  chimes  ring  out  their  joyful 
greetings. 

The  second  grand  ceremony  of  homage  takes 
place  in  the  Sixtine  Chapel  immediately  after  the  elec¬ 
tion.  Thence  the  procession  moves,  chanting  the  an¬ 
them,  “  Ecce  sacerdos  magnus,”  down  the  stairway 
of  Constantine  to  St.  Peter’s,  where  the  Pope  re- 


200 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


ceives  the  third  and  public  homage.  The  Cardinal- 
dean  then  intones  the  antiphons  and  prayers  pre¬ 
scribed  for  the  occasion,  after  which  the  Pope  gives 
his  blessing  to  the  people,  and  the  procession  re¬ 
turns  to  the  chapel  of  the  conclave  and  disbands. 
The  three  days  following  are  given  to  public  rejoic¬ 
ings,  congratulatory  audiences,  and  festivities. 


CHAPTER  V. 


PART  III. — MINOR  PROCEEDINGS  CONNECTED  WITH 

THE  CONCLAVE. 

When  all  that  we  have  thus  far  described  has 
been  done,  he  who  is  elected  is  Pope,  in  all  right 
and  justice,  and  no  man  can  in  any  way  call  his 
election  in  question  or  endeavor  to  invalidate  it.  He 
governs  the  Church  from  that  moment,  and  no  other 
act  is  required  to  give  him  further  authority.  Some, 
it  is  true,  assert  that  the  coronation  is  in  some  way 
necessary  to  the  perfection  of  the  election.  How¬ 
ever,  this  ceremony  is  by  no  means  essential,  for 
we  find  that  Clement  V.  threatens  with  excommuni¬ 
cation  those  who  assert  that  bulls  issued  before  the 
coronation  are  not  binding. 

If  the  person  elected  is  only  a  priest,  he  must  be 
first  consecrated  bishop  ;  if  only  a  deacon,  he  must 
receive  both  ordinations,  that  of  priest  and  that  of 
bishop.  The  bestowing  of  these  orders  was  an  honor 
reserved  to  the  Cardinal-Bishop  of  Ostia.  Of  late 
this  duty  has  devolved  upon  the  Cardinal-Dean.  This 
ordination  or  consecration  must  of  course  precede 
the  coronation.  In  former  days  the  ordinations  took 
place  on  the  day  of  coronation  ;  now  the}^  are  gen¬ 
erally  conferred  in  private.  The  coronation,  usually 
on  the  first  Sunday  or  holy-day  after  the  election,  is 
performed  with  all  possible  solemnity. 


202 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


In  a  festive  procession,  headed  by  the  papal  cross, 
and  composed  of  all  the  dignitaries  of  the  Church, 
the  Pope  is  carried  on  his  sedan-chair  under  a  balda¬ 
chin,  near  which  march  two  nobles  bearing  the 
“flabelli,”  or  great  fans.  The  chair  of  the  Pope  is 
carried  by  the  highest  nobility,  and  is  surrounded 
by  the  ambassadors  of  foreign  courts,  the  officers  of 
the  army,  the  Swiss  Guard,  and  others. 

When  the  procession  has  reached  the  basilica,  the 
Pope  mounts  a  throne  that  has  been  erected  for  him. 
The  cardinals  take  their  seats  around  him  to  listen  to 
the  Latin  address  that  is  usually  read.  After  this 
the  canons  and  clergy  of  St.  Peter’s  pay  their  hom¬ 
age  to  the  Pope. 

Then  follows  the  solemn  entrance  of  the  Pope  into 
St.  Peter’s.  The  procession  first  moves  into  the 
Chapel  of  the  Most  Blesssed  Sacrament,  where  the 
Pope  offers  a  short  prayer.  Thence  they  proceed  to 
the  Clementine  Chapel,  where  he  again  kneels  in 
prayer.  Finally,  the  procession  arrives  at  the  main 
altar,  where  the  Holy  Father  ascends  his  throne  and 
receives  the  homage  of  all  the  dignitaries,  after  which 
he  gives  his  blessing  to  those  present. 

After  this  ceremony  the  Pope  intones  the  hour  of 
Tierce,  which  the  choir  continues  while  his  Holiness 
is  being  vested.  A  procession  is  again  formed  which 
moves  around  the  sanctuary,  during  which  one  of  the 
masters  of  ceremonies  three  times  approaches  the 
Pope,  carrying  on  a  silver  salver  a  small  lock  of 
wool,  which  he  burns,  saying  at  the  same  time  : 
“  Sancte  Pater,  sic  transit  gloria  mundi,”  “  Holy 
Father,  thus  vanishes  earthly  glory.”  At  the  end  of 
this  ceremony  the  high  mass  begins.  After  the 
“  Confiteor”  the  Pope  retires  to  his  throne,  whilst 
two  cardinals  read  the  orations.  Then  he  returns  to 


THE  CORONATION  PROCESSION. — See  next />age.  Page  203. 


THE  CORONATION  PROCESSION.  Page  205, 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


207 


the  altar  to  receive  the  pallium.  This  consists  of  a 
white  woollen  cloth,  covering-  the  shoulders,  and  fall¬ 
ing  down  in  front  and  behind.  This  was  once  a  pecu¬ 
liar  garment  of  the  Jewish  high-priest.  It  belongs 
peculiarly  to  the  dress  of  the  Pope.  The  archbishops, 
however,  wear  it  as  a  sign  of  their  dignity.  They 
must  come  to  Rome  to  receive  it  three  months  after 
their  election,  and  are  allowed  to  use  it  only  on  cer¬ 
tain  festivals  and  in  their  own  churches. 

The  Cardinal-Dean,  after  having  presented  the 
pallium  to  the  Pope  to  be  kissed,  places  it  upon  the 
pontiff’s  shoulders  saying,  “  Accipe  pallium  sanctum, 
plenitudinem  pontificalis  officii,  ad  honorem  omnipo- 
tentis  Dei,  et  gloriosissimm  ejus  Matris  et  sanctorum 
apostolorum  Petri  et  Pauli  et  sanctae  Romanse  Ec- 
clesias.”  “  Receive  the  holy  pallium,  the  fulness 
of  pontifical  power,  in  honor  of  God  Almighty,  of 
the  ever  glorious  Virgin  Mary,  the  holy  Apostles, 
Peter  and  Paul,  and  of  the  holy  Roman  Church.” 
The  Pope,  clothed  in  the  pallium,  rises  and  incenses 
the  altar,  returns  to  his  throne,  receives  the  homage 
of  the  cardinals,  patriarchs,  archbishops,  bishops, 
abbots,  and  penitentiaries  of  St.  Peter’s. 

Then  the  high  mass  is  continued  to  the  collect, 
when  the  Pope  again  retires  to  his  throne.  There¬ 
upon  the  first  cardinal-deacon  takes  the  papal  crosier 
and  accompanied  by  the  subdeacons,  auditors,  and 
secretaries,  descends  into  the  chapel  of  the  “Con- 
fessio,”  where  repose  the  relics  of  the  holy  Apostles 
Peter  and  Paul.  Here  the  deacon  begs  the  interces¬ 
sion  of  the  saints  for  the  new  Pope.  He  repeats  three 
times,  ”  Life  to  our  Lord  N.  N.,  whom  God  has  given 
us  as  bishop  and  vicar  of  Christ.”  All  answer  :  ”  O 
God  !  help  him  ;  O  Mary  !  help  him.”  After  this  the 
high  mass  is  continued  without  any  further  interrup¬ 
tion. 


208 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


After  the  mass  the  Pope  is  conducted  with  all 
pomp  to  the  balcony  of  St.  Peter’s,  where  he  is 
seated  upon  a  throne,  and  the  second  in  seniority  of 
the  cardinal-deacons  takes  the  mitre  which  the  Pope 
has  worn,  and  the  Dean  of  the  Sacred  College  places 
the  tiara  upon  his  head  with  the  words,  “  Accipe 
tiaram  tribus  coronis  ornatam,”  etc.  “  Receive  the 


ST.  JOHN  LATERAN. 


tiara,  adorned  with  the  triple  crown,  and  know  that 
thou  art  the  father  of  princes  and  kings,  the  ruler  of 
the  earth,  the  vicar  of  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.” 
After  some  prayers  prescribed  for  this  ceremony 
the  Pope  solemnly  gives  his  benediction  to  the  assem¬ 
bled  multitude.  He  then  returns  to  the  hall  of  orna¬ 
ments,  where,  being  disrobed  of  the  sacred  vestments, 
he  receives  the  congratulations  of  the  cardinals. 

The  last  solemn  act  connected  with  the  election 
of  the  new  pontiff  is  the  taking  possession  of  the  La- 
teran  basilica.  This  church  is,  as  it  were,  the  mother  of 
all  the  churches  of  Rome  and  of  the  world.  Formerly 
the  Pope  resided  in  the  palace  adjoining  it.  In  tak- 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


209 


mg  possession  of  this  Church,  the  Pope,  in  a  man 
ner,  takes  possession  of  all  the  churches.  In  former 
days  the  ceremony  took  place  immediately  after  the 
coronation,  and  the  Pope,  after  a  slight  repast, 
set  out,  riding  on  a  white  palfrey,  followed  by  all 
the  officials  of  Church  and  State,  most  of  them  like¬ 
wise  on  horseback,  towards  the  basilica.  In  later 


THE  COLISEUM. 


times  this  ceremony  is  independent  of  the  corona¬ 
tion,  and  is  performed  on  any  convenient  day.  Nor 
does  he  ride  on  a  horse,  but  is  carried  .  The  proces¬ 
sion  crosses  the  bridge  of  Sant’  Angelo  towards  the 
Capitol.  Here  a  triumphal  arch  has  been  raised,  be¬ 
neath  which  the  Senator  of  Rome,  with  his  ivory  staff 
in  his  hand,  awaits  the  Pope.  He  makes  an  address 
and  tenders  his  oath  of  fidelity.  The  procession 
passes  thence  through  the  Campo  Vaccino,  under  the 
triumphal  arch  of  Titus,  towards  the  Coliseum,  where 
the  Rabbi  of  the  resident  Israelites  gives  over  to  the 
Pope  the  five  books  of  Moses,  begging  protection 


210 


THE  PAPAL  ELECTION. 


for  those  of  his  belief.  This  being  granted,  the  pro- 
cession  moves  on  to  the  Church  of  St.  John  Lateran. 

At  the  portal  the  cardinal  -  archpriest  of  this 
church  offers  the  cross  to  be  kissed  by  the  Pope. 
Here  the  Pope  again  mounts  his  throne  and  receives 
the  homage  of  all  the  clergy  of  the  Lateran. 

The  keys  of  the  Church — one  of  gold,  the  other  of 
silver — are  then  presented  to  the  Pope  by  the  arch¬ 
priest,  who  also  reads  an  address.  From  this  place 
the  procession  moves  through  the  church  to  the 
council  hall,  where  each  of  the  cardinals  and  chief 
prelates  receives  from  the  Pope’s  hand  a  gold  and  a 
silver  coin  as  a  remembrance.  Then  having  assumed 
the  tiara,  the  Pope  proceeds  to  the  balcony  and 
blesses  the  people.  The  papal  treasurer  scatters  sil¬ 
ver  coin  among  the  people. 

The  Pope  having  laid  aside  his  sacred  vestments, 
is  conducted  back  to  the  Vatican. 

With  this  end  the  ceremonies  connected  with  the 
papal  election.  We  say  nothing  of  the  festivities 
given  by  the  Roman  patricians,  the  foreign  ambassa¬ 
dors  and  others.  These  not  relating  to  our  sub¬ 
ject-matter  need  not  be  here  described. 


CHAPTER  VL 


CONCLUSION. 

Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  I  will  build 
my  Church.”  These  consoling-  words  assure  us  that 
the  Divine  Founder  will  ever  bestow  such  firmness 
and  stability  on  all  occupants  of  the  chair  of  St. 
Peter  as  will  make  it  evident  that  He  Himself  bears 
the  Church  upon  His  strong  shoulders,  rather  than  he 
who  holds  His  place. 

We  have  seen  in  the  foregoing  pages  all  the  wise 
regulations,  which,  with  divine  assistance,  have  been 
made  to  place  the  most  worthy  person  at  the  head 
of  the  Church.  And  as  man  has  done  all  in  his  power 
to  insure  success  to  the  work,  God  has  blessed  it  by 
giving  to  his  Church  a  line  of  popes,  which  in  the  his¬ 
tory  of  the  world  never  found  its  equal,  and  which 
will  exert  its  influence  on  all  future  times.  Eminent 
among  the  great  men  who  compose  this  catalogue 
stands  Pius  IX.,  and  his  greatness  will  be  more  and 
more  clearly  manifested  as  the  harvest  ripens  which 
was  sown  by  his  hand.  As  yet  much  is  hid  from  our 
sight,  but  when  from  the  seed  the  mighty  tree  shall 
spring  and  spread  far  and  wide,  the  memory  of  the 
great  Pius  shall  be  blessed  and  every  Catholic  will 
glory  in  his  faith,  manifest  his  enthusiasm  for  its 


212 


THE  PAl’AL  ELECTION. 


advancement,  and  confirm  its  truth  by  the  sacrifice 
of  all  that  is  dearest  to  him. 

We  need  not  then  be  disheartened.  He  who 
sowed  the  seed  now  sleeps  the  sleep  of  the  holy 
dead  ;  Leo  XIII.,  who  has  meanwhile  been  raised  to 
the  papacy  will  gather  in  the  ripened  harvest,  and,  as 
the  former  did  not  sow  for  himself  or  his  own  glory, 
so  the  latter  will  not  reap  for  his  own  benefit,  but 
only  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  honor  of  the 
Church.  The  chair  of  St.  Peter  is  filled  to-day,  but 
will  be  again  vacant,  awaiting  another  occupant  ;  but 
Jesus  Christ  and  His  kingdom  remain  forever. 

Christus  vincit,  Christus  regnat,  Christus  imperat. 


LIFE  OF  LEO  XIII. 


HIS  ELECTION  AND  THE  FIRST  ACTS  OF 
HIS  REIGN. 


THE  ANCESTRAL  HOME  OF  THE  PECCIS. 


Page  214. 


THE  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  XIII. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Monsignor  Pecci.  Birth  at  Carpineto — The  Pecci  Palace — The  Peed  Family 
— Education  at  Viterbo  and  Rome — His  First  Promotion — Ordination — 
Delegate  to  Benevento — War  on  the  Banditti — Delegate  to  Spoleto  and 
Perugia — Consecrated  Bishop — Nuncio  to  Brussels — Visits  to  Germany  and 
England — Appointed  Bishop  of  Perugia — Cardinal  in  Petto — Declared  Car¬ 
dinal  by  Pius  IX. — Life  and  Labors  at  Perugia  during  thirty-two  years — 
Camerlengo  of  the  Church — His  last  Pastoral  Letter. 


Y  words  shall  not  pass  away  ” 
said  our  Divine  Saviour  : 
“  Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon 
this  rock  I  will  build  my 
Church,  and  the  gates  of 
hell  shall  not  prevail  against 
it.”  The  Pope  dies,  but 
the  Papacy  lives  on  ;  Peter 
is  immortal.  Yesterday  Pius  IX. 
gave  up  his  holy  soul  to  God  ;  to-day 
he  lives  anew  in  Leo  XIII.  The  Su¬ 
preme  Pastor  made  haste  to  place  at  the 
head  of  his  flock  a  faithful  shepherd,  who  might  con¬ 
sole  and  reanimate  it,  bearing  his  staff  with  glory  in 
the  midst  of  the  people  of  God. 

The  present  vicar  of  Jesus  Christ  on  earth  and 
the  common  Father  of  the  Faithful  was  born  on  the 
2d  of  March,  1810,  at  Carpineto,  in  the  diocese  of 
Anagni,  in  the  Papal  States.  His  parents  were 
Count  Louis  Pecci  and  Anna  Prosperi,  the  daughter 
of  a  noble  family  whose  seat  is  at  Cori,  not  far  from 


21 6  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

Carpineto.  In  baptism  he  received  the  names  of 
Vincent  and  Joachim.  The  Pecci  family,  of  which 
he  is  an  offspring,  belongs  to  the  ancient  nobility  of 
Sienna,  but  in  the  fifteenth  century  it  removed  to  the 
States  of  the  Church. 

Carpineto,  which  has  been  rendered  celebrated  by 
the  accession  of  Leo  XIII.  to  the  Holy  See,  is  a  town 


VIEW  OF  CAFPINETO. 


of  about  5000  inhabitants.  It  is  built  on  a  height  and 
flanked  by  narrow  ravines.  The  landscape  around, 
though  somewhat  wild,  is  beautiful.  Nearly  all  the 
houses  are  small  and  poor,  built  of  stone  and  hanging 
against  the  rocks.  The  palace,  in  which  the  Pecci 
family  lives,  dates  from  ancient  times.  The  apart¬ 
ment  of  Leo  XIII.,  which  lies  on  the  second  floor,  is 
furnished  in  the  old  style,  with  a  certain  richness,  but 
with  no  eye  to  comfort.  A  portrait  of  Pius  VI.  and 
a  few  pictures  adorn  the  ante-chamber.  In  the  great 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  TIIE  THIRTEENTH, 


217 


hall  is  a  portrait  of  the  new  Pope,  in  the  dress  of 
a  Cardinal.  The  expression  of  his  countenance  is 
young-,  smiling,  and  of  striking  beauty.  With  the 
advance  of  years,  his  features  have  become  more 
defined,  but  they  have  kept  that  amiable  expression 
which  renders  the  Pontiff  so  winning  fo  all  who  know 
him.  The  father  of  the  Pope  is  there,  too,  in  the  uni- 


VTFAV  OF  CARPINF.TO,  SHOWING  THE  PECCI  ANCESTRAL  HOME. 


form  of  a  French  colonel,  together  with  his  mother, 
who  has  all  the  graces  of  her  descent  from  patrician 
blood.  In  his  bedroom  stands  a  simple  iron  bed  with 
modest  hangings,  at  the  head  of  which  is  a  silver  cru¬ 
cifix  on  a  red  ground.  Next  to  this  room  is  a  little 
family  chapel,  as  there  is  always  in  the  houses  of  the 
ancient  nobility.  Cardinal  Pecci  said  Mass  here 
during  his  stay  at  the  time  of  his  elevation  to  the 
Cardinalate. 

The  tombs  of  the  Peccis  are  in  the  Church  of  the 
Capuchins.  Their  coat  of  arms  consists  of  a  poplar 


218 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


or  pine,  a  bar,  two  lilies,  six  roses  and  a  comet  on  an 
azure  field. 

Leo  XIII.  has  three  brothers,  older  than  himself,* 
and  two  sisters.  The  oldest  of  his  brothers,  who  is 
not  married,  has  already  reached  the  age  of  84  ;  the 
second,  who  is  76  years  old,  has  four  sons  ;  the  third  is 
a  priest,  a  modest  and  learned  disciple  of  St.  Thomas, 
who  figured  conspicuously  in  the  preparatory  commis¬ 
sions  of  the  Vatican  Council,  as  one  of  the  theologians 
of  the  Holy  Father.  For  six  years  he  taught  the 
philosophy  of  the  Angel  of  the  Schools  to  the  clerics 
in  the  seminary  of  Perugia. 

The  two  sisters  are  married  and  both  mothers  of 
families. 

In  1818,  when  Joachim  Pecci  was  only  eight  years 
old,  his  father  sent  him,  together  with  his  oldest 
brother,  Joseph,  to  the  college  of  the  Jesuits,  in 
Viterbo.  He  there  made  his  first  communion,  on  the 
feast  of  St.  Aloysius,  June  21,  1821. 

After  the  death  of  his  mother,  in  1824,  he  removed 
to  Rome  and  resided  with  his  uncle  in  the  palazzo 
Muti.  He  continued  the  course  of  his  studies  at  the 
Roman  College,  which  Leo  XII.  had  just  restored  to 
the  Jesuits.  His  professors  of  rhetoric  were  Father 
Ferdinand  Minini  and  Jos.  Buonvicini.  In  the  same 
college  he  studied  philosophy  and  mathematics,  under 
Fathers  Pianciani  and  Carafa,  for  three  years  ;  and 
then  theology  for  four  years  under  Fathers  Perrone, 
Manera,  Patrizzi,  and  others.  He  sustained,  in  a  most 
brilliant  manner,  two  public  acts  or  examinations  at 
the  Roman  College  and  in  the  Roman  University 
known  under  the  name  of  Sapiensa,  and  each  time 
gained  for  himself  the  warmest  applause. 

After  this,  he  studied  law  and  diplomacy  at  the 
Academy  of  Noble  Ecclesiastics.  He  there  made 

*  The  two  first  of  these  have  died  since  the  accession  of  the  Holy 
Father  to  the  Pontificate. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


219 


himself  remarkable  by  a  devotedness,  zeal  and  intelli¬ 
gence  so  great,  that  Gregory  XVI.,  who  was  skilled 
in  the  knowledge  of  men,  resolved  to  attach  him  to 
himself,  and  on  March  14th,  1837,  named  him  Prelate 
of  his  household  and  Referendary  of  the  Segnatura. 
Mgr.  Pecci  was  then  only  26  years  old,  but  he  dis¬ 
played  so  many  good  qualities  and  such  ability  for 
government,  that  the  Holy  Father  did  not  hesitate  to 
entrust  to  him  offices  of  the  utmost  importance. 

He  was  ordained  subdeacon  and  deacon,  in  the 
beginning  of  the  year  1837,  by  Cardinal  Charles 
Odeschalchi,  in  the  chapel  of  St.  Stanislaus,  at  Sant’ 
Andrea  on  the  Quirinal.  At  the  end  of  the  same 
year,  on  the  23d  of  December,  he  was  ordained 
priest  by  the  same  Cardinal,  and  said  his  first  Mass 
in  the  same  chapel,  assisted  by  his  brother,  Joseph 
Pecci,  then  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Jesus. 

He  was  now  fully  prepared  to  run  his  great 
career,  and  it  was  not  difficult  to  foresee  that  he  would 
rise  to  the  highest  distinction  at  the  Papal  Court. 

On  the  15th  of  February,  1838,  Mgr.  Pecci  was 
appointed  delegate  in  the  province  of  Benevento, 
where  it  was  necessary  to  restore  order.  Brigands 
and  smugglers  desolated  the  province  to  such  an  ex¬ 
tent  as  to  oblige  the  most  powerful  families  to  con¬ 
nive  at  their  evil  doings,  in  order  to  avoid  pillage  and 
murder.  The  population  were  terror-stricken  and 
the  officers  of  justice  met  with  obstacles  at  every  step. 
Once,  however,  that  the  public  forces  had  been  reor¬ 
ganized,  the  corps  of  the  customs  officers  reformed, 
and  that  the  king  of  Naples  had  decided  upon  repress¬ 
ing  the  banditti  with  vigor,  Mgr.  Pecci  pursued  the 
brigands  so  vigorously,  by  having  them  attacked  in 
the  very  castles  where  they  found  a  refuge,  and  by 
having  the  families  arrested  who  furnished  them  with 


220 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


provisions  and  ammunition,  thal,  within  the  space  ol 
fourteen  months,  the  whole  province  was  completely 
purged  of  the  malefactors. 

Still  there  remained  one  band  of  twenty-eight 
brigands,  the  most  reckless  and  notorious  known. 
One  day,  a  marquis,  a  rich  potentate  of  the  province 


and  the  protector  of  these  wretches,  came  in  person 
to  see  Mgr.  Pecci,  and  said  to  him  : 

“  I  am  going  to  Rome  to  get  an  order  for  your 
expulsion  from  our  province,  and  if  that  will  not  do, 
I  will  have  you  carried  off.” 

“  Very  well,”  answered  Mgr.  Pecci  ;  “  but  in  the 
mean  time,  before  setting  out  for  Rome,  allow  me 
to  entrust  you  to  these  carabiniers,  to  whom  I  give 
orders  to  keep  you  in  prison  for  three  months  on 
bread  and  water.” 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


221 


The  very  first  night  that  the  marquis  was  in 
prison,  Mgr.  Pecci  had  his  castle  surrounded,  and  all 
of  the  twenty-eight  brigands  were  either  killed  or 
arrested. 

This  firmness  of  action  was  joined  to  a  great  love 
of  justice  and  affability  of  manners,  which  gained  all 
hearts.  Gregory  XVI.  praised  the  delegate  highly 
for  the  success  he  had  obtained  ;  the  King  of  Naples, 
Ferdinand  II.,  congratulated  him  openly  on  it.  The 
peaceful  inhabitants  of  the  province  hailed  him  as 
their  deliverer,  and  it  was  easy  to  see,  from  the  gen¬ 
eral  grief  on  the  occasion  of  a  serious  illness,  which 
threatened  a  fatal  result,  how  well  Mgr.  *Pecci  had 
known  to  win  for  himself  the  affection  of  all.  Laity 
and  clergy  were  equally  alarmed,  and  in  Benevento 
there  were  public  processions  of  penitents,  who 
marched  with  bare  feet,  and  heads  covered  with  a 
veil,  to  implore  from  heaven  the  recovery  of  their 
delegate. 

Three  years  had  sufficed  to  regenerate  Benevento, 
and  this  wonderful  result  induced  the  Pope  to  seek 
the  same  benefit  for  another  portion  of  his  dominions, 
through  the  same  means.  On  June  12th,  1841,  Mgr. 
Pecci  was  nominated  as  delegate  to  Spoleto  ;  but  this 
destination  was  soon  changed  for  one  of  still  greater 
importance,  when,  on  the  17th  of  the  same  month,  he 
was  appointed  delegate  for  Perugia,  the  government 
of  which  had  always  presented  great  difficulties.  The 
young  delegate  met  with  the  same  success  as  at  Bene¬ 
vento.  At  his  arrival  in  Perugia,  a  town  of  about  20,- 
000  inhabitants,  the  four  city  prisons  were  filled  with 
criminals  :  five  months  later  there  was  not  one,  and 
the  most  perfect  order  reigned  throughout  the  city 
and  its  district. 

At  the  time  of  Mgr.  Pecci ’s  appointment  to  the 


222 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


government  of  Perugia,  Gregory  XVI.  expressed  his 
desire  to  make  a  journey  through  his  dominions,  and 
as  his  arrival  at  Perugia  had  been  fixed  for  an  early 
day,  the  delegate  hastened  from  Rome  to  his  province 
to  prepare  for  a  proper  reception  of  his  sovereign. 
A  road  had  been  projected  from  Foligno  to  Perugia, 
which  would  greatly  facilitate  the  approach  to  the 
latter  city  ;  but  the  work  was  far  from  its  termina¬ 
tion.  Mgr.  Pecci  resolved  that  the  road  should  be 
finished  before  the  Pope’s  arrival  ;  and  with  his  usual 
energy  he  accomplished  the  task,  to  the  wonder  of  all 
who  knew  the  difficulties  of  the  enterprise. 

Another  instance  will  be  of  interest.  He  had  re¬ 
ceived  information  that  the  bakers  of  Perugia  gave 
bread  of  light  weight.  The  delegate  went  out,  early  one 
morning,  with  his  officers,  and  inspected  all  the  baker¬ 
ies  of  the  city.  He  confiscated  all  the  bread  which 
was  found  less  than  the  proper  weight,  and  had  it 
distributed  to  the  poor  in  the  market  place.  One 
lesson  sufficed  for  the  dishonest  bakers. 

When  he  had  thus  governed  the  province  of  Pe¬ 
rugia  for  a  year  and  a  half,  Gregory  XVI.,  who  saw 
that  Pecci  daily  justified  more  and  more  the  hopes  he 
had  conceived  of  him,  preconized  him,  on  the  27th  of 
January,  1843,  Archbishop  of  Damietta  in  par tibus, 
though  he  was  then  only  33  years  old,  and  sent  him 
in  quality  of  apostolic  nuncio  to  the  court  of  King 
Leopold  I.  at  Brussels.  He  was  consecrated  bishop, 
at  Rome,  in  the  Church  of  St.  Lawrence,  on  the 
Viminal  Hill,  by  Cardinal  Lambruschini,  assisted  by 
the  Bishops  Asquini  and  Castellani,  on  Sunday,  Feb¬ 
ruary  19th,  1843,  and  then  set  out,  by  way  of  Mar¬ 
seilles,  Lyons,  Rheims,  Mezieres,  and  Namur,  to  take 
up  his  post  as  Nuncio  at  Brussels.  He  held  that 
position  for  three  years  ;  and  the  Belgians  still 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


remember  how  great  an  influence  he  had  gained  for 
himself  at  the  court,  and  how  powerful  a  patron  every 
Catholic  undertaking  found  in  him,  not  less  than  his 
far-sighted  judgment,  which  enabled  him  to  see,  even 
then,  the  events  which  from  afar  prepared  the  Euro¬ 
pean  revolution. 

Leopold  and  all  the  royal  family  held  him  in  the 
highest  esteem. 

The  decree  which  made  him  Grand  Cross  of  the 
Order  of  Leopold  bears  the  date  of  May  5th,  1846, 
and  specifies  that  this  royal  favor  was  conferred  on 
him  as  a  particular  testimony  of  good  will  and  esteem. 

Mgr.  Pecci  had  a  special  liking  for  establishments 
of  Christian  education.  He  frequently  visited  the 
celebrated  Academy  of  Saint-Pierre,  and  always  held 
in  the  highest  esteem  the  excellent  religious  of  the 
Sacred  Heart,  who  direct  that  house.  He  used  to 
enter  their  convent  without  announcing  himself,  pre¬ 
sided  at  their  feasts,  and  even  interested  himself  in  the 
compositions  of  the  pupils.  The  ladies  that  have  been 
educated  in  that  holy  house  remember  to  this  day 
with  a  lively  emotion  the  piety  and  affability  of  him 
who  is  now  the  father  of  Catholicity. 

The  noble  families  of  Belgium  appreciated  the 
great  qualities  of  the  apostolic  nuncio,  who  kept  up 
an  intercourse  with  several  of  them,  especially  with 
that  of  the  Count  de  Merode,  where  he  used  to  pay 
frequent  visits  during  his  stay  at  Brussels.  Mgr. 
de  Montpellier,  Bishop  of  Liege,  had  studied  at  the 
Roman  College  together  with  his  Excellency,  and 
they  remained  ever  after  intimately  united. 

Mgr.  Pecci  could  not  long  endure  the  Belgian 
climate,  which  is  somewhat  cold,  and  his  health 
obliged  him  to  leave  Brussels  after  a  sojourn  of  three 
years. 


226  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

In  the  month  of  April,  1845,  the  Nuncio  set  out 
from  Belgium  to  visit  some  of  the  neighboring  coun¬ 
tries,  before  returning  to  Italy.  His  route  was  from 
Brussels  to  Liege,  where  he  spent  some  days  with 
the  friend  of  his  college  days,  Mgr.  Montpellier. 
Thence  he  went  to  Aix-la-Chapelle,  Cologne,  and  up 
the  Rhine  to  Mainz.  He  visited  Treves  also,  and 
after  some  delay  there,  proceeded  to  Maestricht, 
whence  he  returned  by  way  of  Liege  to  Brussels. 
After  reposing  from  the  fatigues  of  this  joufney, 
Mgr.  Pecci  resolved  to  pay  a  visit  to  England,  and 
spent  two  weeks  in  London  ;  after  which  he  came 
back  to  Brussels  and  took  final  leave  of  the  Belgian 
Court.  His  journey  homeward  took  him  through 
Paris,  Lyons,  Avignon  and  other  French  cities  of 
renown,  to  Marseilles,  where  he  took  ship  for  Civita 
Vecchia. 

The  King  of  Belgium  had  handed  him  a  dispatch 
for  the  Holy  Father  ;  but  Mgr.  Pecci,  on  his  arrival 
at  Rome,  did  not  see  Gregory  XVI.  alive.  The  Pope 
was  on  his  death-bed,  and  expired  on  the  istof  June, 
1846.  Meanwhile  the  Bishop  of  Perugia  had  died,  and 
a  deputation  had  been  sent  to  Rome  from  that  city  to 
urge  the  appointment  of  Mgr.  Pecci  as  his  successor. 
This  had  been  made  known  to  the  Nuncio  before  his 
departure  from  Brussels  ;  and  he  had  been  preco- 
nized  Bishop  of  Perugia  on  the  10th  of  January, 
1846.  At  the  same  time  the  Pope  named  him  Cardi¬ 
nal,  thus  forestalling  the  request  contained  in  the 
above-mentioned  dispatch  of  King  Leopold.  As 
usual,  his  nomination  to  the  Cardinalate  was  reserved 
in  petto  ;  and  as  Gregory  XVI.  died  before  he  could 
publicly  proclaim  the  nomination,  Mgr.  Pecci’s  eleva¬ 
tion  to  that  dignity  was  delayed. 

On  Sunday,  26th  of  July,  1846,  the  new  Bishop 


The  CapitoL  The  Bishop’s  Palace.  The  Seminary.  The  Cathedral. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


229 


of  Perugia  took  solemn  possession  of  his  see,  and 
became  the  spiritual  head  of  a  diocese  of  which  he 
had  already  been  the  civil  governor. 

He  found  there  still  in  existence  the  greater  part 
of  the  works  he  had  begun  three  years  previously. 
His  only  anxiety  now  was  to  apply  himself  to  make 
them  prosper  and  to  found  new  ones  in  accordance 
with  the  needs  of  the  time.  Thus  he  founded  for  his 
priests  “  the  Academy  of  St.  Thomas,”  and  it  was  his 
greatest  pleasure  to  preside  at  its  meetings,  that  thus 
he  might  give  them  a  more  lively  impulse.  One 
should  have  been  on  the  spot  and  have  seen  Mgr. 
Pecci  living  in  the  midst  of  the  clerics  of  his  semi¬ 
nary,  to  form  an  idea  of  his  extreme  benevolence  and 
his  great  spirit  of  faith.  His  brother,  Don  Giuseppe 
Pecci,  greatly  aided  him  in  this  undertaking. 

Mgr.  Pecci  brought  the  ladies  of  the  Sacred 
Heart,  whose  singular  merit  and  devotedness  he  had 
learned  to  appreciate  at  Brussels,  to  Perugia  for  the 
education  of  young  ladies.  He  had  visited,  at  Paris, 
the  venerable  foundress,  Madame  Barat,  and  had 
promised  to  take  the  first  opportunity  to  establish  the 
new  order  in  Italy.  It  was  only  after  the  lapse  of  ten 
years,  whilst  he  was  Bishop  of  Perugia,  that  he  was 
able  to  fulfil  at  once  his  promise  and  his  earnest 
desire.  Madame  Barat  sent  a  colony  of  her  sisters  to 
Perugia,  headed  by  Madame  Lehon,  a  lady  whose 
merit  has  since  raised  her  to  the  highest  post  in  the 
order.  Another  colony  of  the  same  order  had  been 
established  at  Rome  in  1828,  and  held  possession  of 
the  church  and  convent  of  the  Trinita  de’  Monti. 

During  his  administration  the  seminary  was  re¬ 
built  and  enlarged,  and  the  cathedral  repaired  and 
beautified.  In  1849,  he  presided  at  a  council  of  the 
Bishops  of  Umbria  and  wrote  the  acts  of  the  meeting, 


230  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

which  tended  to  the  development  of  religion  in  that 
province.  When  the  Piedmontese  invasion  absorbed 
that  portion  of  the  Papal  dominions,  Mgr.  Pecci  was 
imprisoned  and  his  seminary  seized  by  the  new  rulers ; 
but  the  bishop  lodged  his  seminarians  in  his  own 
house,  and  their  studies  were  not  interrupted. 

Mgr.  Pecci  showed  in  his  whole  government  of 


RECEPTION  OF  BISHOP  PF.CCI,  IN  PERUGIA. 

the  Church  of  Perugia  much  firmness  and  wisdom. 
He  wrote  two  celebrated  letters  to  King  Victor 
Emmanuel  II.  In  the  first  he  reproved  the  fatal 
measure  of  civil  marriage  imposed  upon  the  people 
of  Umbria;  in  the  other  he  protested  against  the 
expulsion  of  the  Camaldolese  friars  of  Monte  Corona 
and  of  other  religious  corporations.  In  1862,  three 
clerg)imen  of  the  diocese  had  been  accused  of  re¬ 
fusing  t.o  sign  Passaglia’s  petition  to  the  Pope  urg- 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


231 


ing  him  to  renounce  his  temporal  power.  They 
answered  in  the  public  papers  that  they  had  refused 
merely  because  they  had  prepared  another  petition  of 
their  own  more  insulting  to  the  Holy  Father  than  Pas- 
saglia’s.  The  bishop  wrote  to  them  to  recall  them  to 
a  sense  of  their  duty,  and  meanwhile  suspended  them 
from  all  functions.  The  unhappy  men,  instead  of 
submitting  to  their  bishop,  referred  his  letter  to  the 
government,  which  at  once  instituted  proceedings 
against  Mgr.  Pecci.  But  its  own  judges  were  com¬ 
pelled,  by  the  evidence  of  his  innocence,  to  dismiss 
the  case. 

A  college  had  been  established  at  Perugia  for  the 
Christian  education  of  young  men.  The  new  gov¬ 
ernment  seized  it  and  placed  its  own  teachers  in  it  to 
train  the  youths  in  its  own  principles.  Mgr.  Pecci 
at  once  denounced  the  measure,  withdrew  his  protec¬ 
tion  from  the  college,  and  took  down  his  arms  which 
had  been  affixed  over  the  main  entrance  to  the  build¬ 
ing.  On  the  following  day  the  classes  were  empty, 
and  the  government  was  foiled. 

Seven  times  he  visited  the  whole  of  his  diocese  ;  and 
during  his  episcopate  thirty-six  churches  were  built, 
and  many  more  were  repaired. 

All  his  pastoral  letters  to  his  flock  are  models  of 
ecclesiastical  learning,  and  will  serve  as  perpetual 
monuments  of  his  zeal.  The  most  remarkable  among 
them  are  the  last  two,  one  of  which  he  published 
before  the  Lent  of  1877,  the  other  on  the  10th  of 
February,  1878.  Fie  inveighs  strongly  against  the 
current  errors  in  regard  to  religion  and  Christian 
life  ;  the  vices  which  he  condemns  are  blasphemy, 
the  non-observance  of  feast-da}^,  licentiousness,  the 
reading  of  bad  books  and  the  neglect  of  education. 

Mgr.  Pecci  had  been  reserved  Cardinal  in  petto  by 


232 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


his  Holiness  Gregory  XVI.  in  the  Consistory  of  Jan¬ 
uary  ioth,  1846.  The  death  of  the  Pope  delayed  the 
moment  at  which  he  was  to  receive  the  purple.  It 
was  only  on  December  19th,  1853,  that  he  was  created 
Cardinal  of  the  Order  of  Priests,  by  Pius  IX.,  with 
the  title  of  St.  Crysogono. 

The  piety  and  austerity  of  Mgr.  Pecci  were  always  a 
subject  of  great  edification  for  his  diocesans.  He  prac 
tised  a  special  devotion  to  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus, 
to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  St.  Joseph.  “At  all 
times,’’  he  wrote  in  his  pastoral  of  December,  1867, 
“  fervent  prayer  has  been  the  divine  weapon  of  the 
Christian  ;  but,  amid  the  great  calamities  of  the 
present  time,  we  must  more  than  ever  rekindle  in 
souls  the  love  of  prayer  and  fly  to  the  Sacred  Heart 
of  Jesus,  our  Saviour.’’ 

He  was  most  simple  in  his  manner  of  living.  He  al¬ 
ways  rose  at  daybreak,  and  after  having  said  his  Mass, 
set  to  work.  He  busied  himself  much  with  the  study 
of  history  and  literature,  and  acquired  immense  eru¬ 
dition.  He  made  a  profound  study  of  Dante,  so  far 
as  to  be  able  to  recite  by  heart  long  passages  upon 
the  simple  quotation  of  a  line.  His  conversation  was 
amiable  and  sprightly. 

Like  most  of  his  countrymen,  Mgr.  Pecci  took  only 
one  meal  a  day,  at  one  o’clock.  He  was  an  enemy  to 
delicacies  and  his  fare  was  most  frugal ;  it  consisted  of 
boiled  pastry,  which  replaced  the  soup,  of  boiled  or 
roasted  meat,  of  some  greens,  and  of  the  cheese  of  the 
country,  made  of  goat’s  milk.  At  all  seasons  of  the 
year,  the  Archbishop  retired  at  10  o’clock. 

Notwithstanding  the  simplicity  of  his  life,  all  those 
who  have  known  Mgr.  Pecci  at  Perugia  affirm  that 
his  whole  person  shows  a  certain  majesty.  He  is  of 
tall  stature  ;  his  forehead  is  large,  and  his  penetrating 


ARCHBISHOP  PECCI  RECEIVING  THE  CARDINAL’S  HAT  FROM  PIUS  IX. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


235 


eyes  betoken  a  singular  vivacity  ;  his  countenance, 
which  austerity  has  furrowed  from  early  youth,  be¬ 
trays  great  keenness.  He  has  a  strong  and  sonorous 
voice,  and  speaks  French  and  German  fluently. 

At  the  time  of  the  Council  in  1870,  Mgr.  Pecci, 
who  was  then  Cardinal,  performed  a  touching  cere¬ 
mony  in  the  church  of  the  French  seminary.  He 
there  received  the  abjuration  of  a  Jewish  family  of 
Bologna,  and  administered  baptism  and  gave  holy 
communion  to  the  converts.  The  French  bishops, 
who  assisted  at  the  ceremony  to  the  number  of  four¬ 
teen  or  fifteen,  were  so  struck  by  the  majesty  of  the 
celebrant,  that  they  could  not  refrain  from  saying 
afterwards  :  “  What  a  fine  Pope  he  would  make  !” 

During  the  two-and-thirty  years  of  his  episcopate 
he  constantly  showed  himself  gentle  and  benevolent, 
yet  firm  and  austere.  He  admitted  no  consideration 
when  there  was  question  of  principle. 

In  the  Consistory  of  21st  September,  1877,  his 
Holiness  Pius  IX.  called  Cardinal  Pecci  to  Rome  as 
successor  of  the  Camerlengo,  Cardinal  de  Angelis, 
who  had  died  in  the  preceding  July.  From  that  time 
his  Eminence  inhabited  at  Rome  the  palace  of  Falco- 
nieri,  his  new  office  obliging  him  to  reside  near  the 
Pope. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  congregations  of  the 
bishops  and  regulars,  of  the  Council,  of  the  ecclesias¬ 
tical  Immunity,  of  the  Discipline  of  regulars,  and  of 
our  Lady  of  Loretto  ;  protector  of  the  congregation 
of  the  Third  Order  of  St.  Francis  of  Assisi,  of  the 
monastery  of  St.  Urban,  of  that  of  St.  Clare  at  Assisi, 
of  the  conservatory  of  St.  Euphemia,  and  of  the  pon¬ 
tifical  Academy  of  Archaeology  at  Rome. 

We  cannot  end  this  chapter  more  appropriately 
than  by  giving  a  synopsis  of  the  last  pastoral  letter 


236  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

which  Cardinal  Pecci,  Archbishop  of  Perugia,  issuer 
to  the  clergy  and  faithful  of  his  diocese,  a  document 
that  would  have  been  considered  remarkable  even  if 
within  a  year  and  a  week  its  author  had  not  been 
raised  to  the  Papacy  as  Leo  XIII.  He  took  up  the 
question,  “  Is  the  Catholic  Church  hostile  to  the  prog¬ 
ress  of  industry,  art,  and  science  ?  Is  there,  as  her 
adversaries  declare,  a  natural  and  irremediable  in¬ 
compatibility  between  the  Church  and  civilization?” 
These  were  the  questions  which  the  Cardinal  set  him¬ 
self  to  answer,  and  his  answer  was,  “  No  ;  the  Cath¬ 
olic  Church  is  hostile  to  no  phase  of  progress  ;  is 
not  incompatible  with  civilization  even  in  its  purely 
material  aspect.”  He  went  even  further,  and  took 
pains  to  explain  to  his  flock  what  civilization  is,  its 
merits  and  advantages,  and  these  explanations  were 
not  given  as  a  theologian  but  as  a  political  economist. 
He  said  : 

“A  celebrated  French  economist,  Bastiat,  has 
grouped  and  shown  as  in  a  picture  the  multiplied 
benefits  man  finds  in  society,  and  it  is  a  wonder 
worthy  of  admiration.  Consider  the  humblest  of 
men,  the  poorest  laborer— he  has  wherewith  to  clothe 
himself,  well  or  ill,  and  shoes  for  his  feet.  Think  how 
many  persons,  how  many  agencies,  had  to  be  put  in 
motion  to  furnish  this  clothing  or  these  shoes  !  Daily 
every  man  places  a  morsel  of  bread  to  his  lips  ;  be¬ 
hold  here  what  labor  ;  how  many  hands  it  has  taken 
to  reach  that  end,  from  the  husbandman  who  pain¬ 
fully  turned  the  furrow  to  confide  to  it  the  seed,  to  the 
baker  who  converted  the  flour  into  bread  !  Every 
man  has  rights  ;  he  finds  in  society  lawyers  to  defend 
them,  magistrates  to  make  them  sacred  by  their  sen¬ 
tence,  soldiers  to  compel  respect  for  them.  Is  he 
ignorant  ?  He  finds  schools,  men  to  write  books  for 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


237 


him,  others  to  print  and  publish  them.  To  satisfy 
his  religious  instincts,  his  aspirations  towards  God, 
he  finds  those  of  his  brethren  who,  laying  aside  all 
other  occupation,  give  themselves  up  to  the  study  of 
sacred  lore,  renouncing  business,  pleasure,  home,  the 
better  to  discharge  these  lofty  duties.  But  this  is 
enough  to  prove  to  you  clearly  that  society  is  indis¬ 
pensable  in  order  that  our  wants,  which  are  as  urgent 
as  they  are  varied,  may  be  satisfied.” 

Having  thus  pointed  out  the  advantages  of  associ¬ 
ation  and  the  division  of  labor,  Mgr.  Pecci  went  on 
to  explain  progress  and  define  civilization  as  follows  : 

“  Society,  being  made  up  of  men  essentially  perfec¬ 
tible,  cannot  remain  at  a  standstill  ;  it  makes  progress 
and  perfects  itself.  One  century  inherits  the  inven¬ 
tions,  discoveries,  and  improvements  of  its  predeces¬ 
sor,  and  thus  the  sum  of  physical,  moral,  and  political 
benefits  grows  marvellously.  Who  would  compare 
the  miserable  huts  of  primitive  peoples,  their  rude 
utensils,  their  imperfect  tools,  with  all  that  we  of  the 
nineteenth  century  possess  ?  Nor  is  there  any  more 
comparison  between  the  articles  produced  by  our 
ingeniously  constructed  machinery  and  those  toil¬ 
somely  wrought  by  the  hands  of  man.  There  can  be  no 
doubt  that  the  old  highways,  unsafe  bridges,  and  long 
and  disagreeable  journeyings  of  old  times  were  not 
the  equals  in  value  of  our  railroads,  which,  as  it  were, 
fasten  wings  to  our  shoulders  and  have  made  our 
globe  smaller,  so  near  to  each  other  have  they 
brought  its  nations.  Is  not  our  era,  by  the  gentle¬ 
ness  of  its  manners,  superior  to  the  rude  and  brutal 
days  of  barbarism,  and  are  not  reciprocal  relations  on 
a  more  friendly  footing?  From  certain  standpoints, 
has  not  the  political  system  been  improved  under  the 
influence  of  time  and  experience  ?  No  longer  is  pri- 


238  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

vate  vengeance  tolerated,  or  torture  ;  and  the  petty 
feudal  tyrants,  the  wrangling  communities,  the  wan¬ 
dering  bands  of  free  companions — have  they  not  all 
disappeared  ?  It  is,  then,  true  that  man  in  society 
goes  on  perfecting  himself  in  his  physical  comfort, 
his  moral  relations  with  his  fellows,  and  his  political 
condition.  And  the  different  degrees  of  this  succes¬ 
sive  development  to  which  man  in  society  attains 
are  civilization  ;  this  civilization  is  new-born  and 
rudimentary  when  the  conditions  under  which  man 
grows  more  perfect  in  this  threefold  sense  are  but 
partially  developed  ;  it  is  great  and  high  when  they 
attain  a  larger  development  ;  it  would  be  complete 
were  all  the  conditions  perfectly  satisfied.” 

After  this  passage,  of  which  G.  cle  Molinari  says 
in  the  Dcbats  that  it  makes  the  reader  fancy  he  is 
listening  to  one  of  Michel  Chevalier’s  lectures  at  the 
College  de  France,  the  Cardinal  goes  on  to  ask  whence 
proceed  progress  and  civilization.  They  come,  above 
all,  from  labor.  Labor  was  despised  by  the  most 
illustrious  of  ancient  philosophers,  but  “  Christianity 
elevated,  honored,  and  sanctified  it.  Jesus  Christ,  the 
true  Son  of  God,  submitted  himself  to  a  poor  artisan  of 
Galilee,  and  in  the  carpenter’s  shop  of  Nazareth  did 
not  disdain  to  set  his  blessed  hand  to  labor.”  The 
apostles  supported  themselves  by  their  labor,  and 
later,  when  the  barbarian  hordes  swept  over  Europe, 
the  monk  tilled  the  soil  they  had  ravaged,  and  resus¬ 
citated  industry.  Still  later  the  Catholic  republics  of 
Italy  became  the  splendid  centres  of  trade,  com¬ 
merce,  and  arts. 

Ionia,  the  Black  Sea,  Africa,  and  Asia  were  the 
theatres  of  the  commercial  relations  and  military  expe¬ 
ditions  of  our  ancestors  ;  there  they  made  important 
and  fecund  conquests  ;  and  while  abroad  their  flags 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  239 

Hoated  wreathed  with  glory  and  terror,  at  home  they 
did  not  remain  idle.  They  cultivated  the  arts,  and 
their  traders,  by  every  honest  means,  added  to 
public  and  private  wealth.  Manufactures  of  wool, 
silk,  jewelry,  colored  glass,  paper,  at  Florence,  Pisa, 
Bologna,  Milan,  Venice,  Naples,  gave  lucrative  em¬ 
ployment  to  thousands  upon  thousands  of  workmen 
and  attracted  to  those  markets  the  gold  and  the  com¬ 
petition  of  strangers. 

Of  course  the  Church  does  not  believe  that  all 
should  be  sacrificed  to  the  multiplication  of  riches, 
the  health  and  lives  of  men,  the  feeble  strength  of 
childhood,  and  Cardinal  Pecci  protested  against  the 
“  modern  schools  of  political  economy,  infested  with 
unbelief,  that  regard  labor  as  the  supreme  end  of 
man,  and  man  himself  as  a  machine  more  or  less 
valuable  as  it  is  more  or  less  productive.”  M.  de 
Molinari,  commenting  on  this,  points  out  that  econo¬ 
mists  do  not  regard  labor  as  an  end  but  as  a  means, 
and  that  they  are  thoroughly  in  accord  with  their 
‘‘eminent  confrere  of  Perugia”  as  to  the  necessity 
of  limiting  the  hours  of  labor  and  securing  days 
of  rest  for  the  artisan  as  well  as  of  avoiding  the 
exhaustion  of  children  ;  they,  like  the  present  Pope, 
believe  that  charity  is  necessary  ;  they  favor  the 
widest  possible  spread  of  education,  detest  war  and  up¬ 
hold  the  freedom  of  commerce,  and  with  sorrow  con¬ 
template  “  the  enormous  number  of  the  victims  made 
by  the  privation  of  education,  by  physical  infirmities, 
by  war,  and  the  convulsions  of  trade.” 

After  repelling  as  an  odious  calumny  the  accusa¬ 
tion  against  the  Church  that  ‘‘  she  instils  into  the 
heart  a  mystical  contempt  of  earthly  things,”  and 
commends  an  asceticism  which  would  exclude  all 
material  amelioration  of  the  lot  of  man,  the  Cardinal 


240 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


sets  himself  to  refute  the  still  more  venomous  calumny 
which  causes  the  Church  to  be  considered  the  enemy 
of  science.  This  pretended  enmity,  he  says,  is  not 
only  absurd,  but  impious,  for  it  involves  the  supposi¬ 
tion  that  the  Church  fears  lest  science  may  succeed 
in  dethroning  God.  So  far  from  dethroning  him, 
science  can  only  make  manifest  his  power  and  re¬ 
double  the  love  he  inspires  by  the  full  harmony  and 
magnificence  of  his  works. 

See  and  judge  for  yourselves.  What  is  there  that 
the  Church  can  desire  more  ardently  than  the  glory 
of  God  and  the  more  intimate  acquaintance  with  the 
divine  Workman  which  is  acquired  by  the  study  of 
his  works  ?  If  the  universe  is  indeed  a  book  on  every 
page  of  which  are  inscribed  the  name  and  the  wisdom 
of  God,  it  is  certain  that  he  will  be  most  filled 
with  love  for  God,  will  come  the  nearest  to  God, 
who  will  have  studied  this  book  most  deeply  and 
most  attentively.  .  .  .  What  reason  can  there 

be  that  the  Church  should  be  jealous  of  the  mar¬ 
vellous  progress  our  age  has  made  by  its  studies 
and  discoveries  ?  Is  there  in  them  anything  which, 
looked  at  from  near  or  from  far,  can  do  harm  to  the 
ideas  of  God  and  of  faith  whereof  the  Church  is  the 
guardian  and  infallible  mistress  ?  Bacon,  so  distin¬ 
guished  in  the  walks  of  physical  science,  has  written 
that  a  little  knowledge  leads  away  from  God,  but  much 
knowledge  leads  back  to  God.  This  golden  saying  is 
always  true,  and  if  the  Church  is  afraid  of  the  ruin  that 
might  be  wrought  by  the  vain  ones  who  think  they 
understand  everything  because  they  have  a  slight 
smattering  of  everything,  she  has  full  confidence  in 
those  who  apply  seriously  and  profoundly  to  the 
study  of  nature,  for  she  knows  that  at  the  bottom  of 
their  researches  they  will  find  God,  who  in  all  his 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


241 


works  displays  himself  with  the  infinite  attributes  of 
his  power,  his  wisdom,  and  his  goodness.” 

Then  the  pastoral  letter  brings  to  the  support  of 
its  author’s  position  the  evidence  of  Copernicus,  of 
Keppler,  of  Volta,  of  Galileo,  even  of  the  Protestant 
Faraday,  “  who  saw  in  the  science  to  which  he 
applied  himself  with  such  passion  an  agency  whereby 
to  reach  God.”  Finally  it  pays  homage  to  the  mar¬ 
vellous  efforts  of  science  and  the  sublime  spectacle  it 
offers  in  rendering  man  master  of  the  forces  of  nature, 
in  kindling  within  him  a  spark  of  the  fire  of  the  God¬ 
head. 

“  How  splendid  and  majestic  does  man  seem  when 
he  reaches  after  the  thunderbolt  and  lets  it  fall  harmless 
at  his  feet  ;  when  he  summons  the  electric  spark  and 
sends  it,  the  messenger  of  his  will,  through  the  abysses 
of  ocean,  over  the  precipitous  mountains,  across 
the  interminable  plains  !  How  glorious,  when  he 
bids  steam  fasten  pinions  to  his  shoulders  and  bear 
him  with  the  rapidity  of  lightning  over  land  and  sea  ! 
How  powerful,  when  by  his  ingenuity  he  seizes 
upon  this  force,  imprisons  it,  and  conveys  it  by  ways 
marvellously  combined  and  adapted  to  give  motion 
— we  might  almost  say  intelligence — to  brute  matter, 
which  thus  takes  the  place  of  man  and  spares  him  his 
most  exhausting  toil  !  Tell  me  if  there  is  not  in  man 
the  semblance  of  a  spark  of  the  Creator  when  he 
invokes  light  and  bids  it  scatter  the  shades  of  dark¬ 
ness  ! 

But  the  Syllabus  ?  Has  not  the  Syllabus  con> 
demned  science  and  civilization  ?  No  ;  it  has  not 
condemned  true  civilization — that  whereby  man  per¬ 
fects  himself — but  it  does  condemn  “  the  civilization 
which  would  supplant  Christianity  and  destroy  with 
it  all  wherewith  Christianity  has  enriched  us.”  It 


242 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


is  not  directed  against  civilization  and  science,  but 
against  atheism  and  materialism.  ”  Having  dealt  with 
the  material  amelioration  of  the  condition  of  man,  he 
says  :  “It  would  be  an  agreeable  task  to  cast  the  same 
light  on  those  things  which  concern  the  amelioration 
of  man’s  moral  and  political  condition,  if,  instead  of 
writing  a  pastoral  letter,  we  had  set  ourselves  to  com¬ 
posing  a  long  treatise,  and  if  we  did  not  intend,  if  life 
permits  it,  to  return  at  a  future  day  to  this  subject. 

The  Pope  of  1878  will  conclude  the  essay  begun 
by  the  Cardinal  of  1877. 


CHAPTER  II. 

The  Election.  The  Office  of  Camerlengo  on  the  Death  of  the  Pope — The 
Conclave  of  1878 — The  First  Ballot — The  Second  Ballot — The  Third  and 
Last  Ballot — The  Ceremonies  of  Acceptance — The  Public  Proclamation  by 
Cardinal  Caterini — The  Rejoicings  at  Rome — The  First  Papal  Benediction 
—Leo  XIII.  and  France — The  Audiences. 

The  Cardinal  Camerlengo  has  the  most  extended 
rights.  He  is  the  head  and  president  of  the  Apos¬ 
tolic  Chamber.  At  the  death  of  the  Pope,  he  repre¬ 
sents,  in  some  manner,  the  temporal  power  of  the 
Holy  See,  in  the  same  way  as  the  Sacred  College 
represents  the  spiritual  power.  Hence,  to  appoint 
him  Camerlengo  was  to  entrust  him  with  the  princi¬ 
pal  authority  during  the  vacancy  of  the  Holy  See. 
The  result  has  shown  that  it  was,  so  to  say,  to  point 
him  out  to  the  choice  of  the  Cardinals,  who  were  thus 
given  an  occasion  to  appreciate  the  high  qualities  of 
Cardinal  Pecci  ;  and  we  may  safely  say  that,  if  Leo 
XIII.  is  a  Pope  after  the  heart  of  God,  he  is  no  less  so 
after  the  heart  of  Pius  IX. 

On  the  7th  of  February,  we  find  Mgr.  Pecci 
kneeling  at  the  death-bed  of  the  much  beloved  Pius 
IX.,  overwhelmed  with  grief.  When  the  great  and 
sad  event  had  taken  place,  and  death  had  deprived 
us  of  our  beloved  father,  the  Camerlengo,  by  virtue 
of  his  office,  found  himself  charged  with  the  funeral 
services  to  be  performed.  He  was  to  verify  the 
death  of  the  Pope  and  to  receive  from  the  Cardinal- 
Dean  the  deposit  of  the  Fisherman’s  Ring.  He 


244 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


was  to  place  in  the  coffin  of  Pius  IX.  the  three 
velvet  purses  containing  the  pieces  of  money  that  were 
struck  during  the  late  Pontiff’s  reign,  and  the  parch¬ 
ment  on  which  the  events  of  his  life  were  traced. 
He  was,  besides,  charged  with  the  direction  of  all  the 
arrangements  to  be  made  for  the  organization  of  the 
Conclave  ;  and  he  displayed  the  highest  wisdom  in 
that  delicate  mission. 

The  Conclave  which  was  destined  to  appoint  a 
successor  to  the  immortal  Pius  IX.  was  one  of  the 
largest  in  the  whole  history  of  the  Church  and  the 
shortest  in  duration.  The  Holy  Ghost,  whose  in¬ 
visible  hand  directs  and  governs  the  Church,  and 
against  whom  human  calculation  and  cunning  can 
avail  naught,  shortened  the  days  of  mourning  to  fill 
Christendom  with  new  joy. 

On  the  morning  of  February  1 8th,  their  Eminences, 
the  Cardinals  went  to  the  Pauline  Chapel  in  the 
Vatican  to  assist  at  the  Mass  of  the  Holy  Ghost  sung 
by  Cardinal  Schwarzenberg,  Archbishop  of  Prague. 
The  diplomatic  body  in  full  uniform,  and  the  represen¬ 
tatives  of  the  Roman  nobility,  were  accommodated  in 
the  tribune  of  the  chapel.  At  the  conclusion  of  divine 
service,  Monsignor  Mercurelli,  Secretary  of  Briefs, 
delivered  an  address  on  the  manner  in  which  the  elec¬ 
tion  of  the  Pontiff  is  to  be  carried  on  according  to 
the  present  regulations  of  the  Church.  All  the  con¬ 
stitutions  concerning  the  Conclave  were  observed 
with  the  greatest  scrupulosity,  so  that  no  one  might 
find  a  pretext  to  question  the  validity  of  the  choice. 
This  was  also  the  desire  of  the  Catholic  Powers, 
which  they  had  communicated,  through  their  ambas¬ 
sadors,  to  the  Cardinal  Camerlengo. 

In  the  afternoon  at  four  o’clock,  the  Cardinals  as¬ 
sembled  again  in  the  Pauline  Chapel.  Thence  they  pro- 


LIFE  OF  I’OFE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


245 


ceeded,  between  two  lines  of  the  Noble  Guard,  the 
Swiss  Guard  and  the  Palatine  Guard  of  Honor,  to  the 
Sistine  Chapel,  where  they  sang  the  “  Veni  Creator  ” 
with  the  Conclavists.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  pre¬ 
scribed  prayers,  the  Cardinals  took  the  oath  required 
by  the  Canons.  Then  the  Marshal  of  the  Conclave, 
Prince  Chigi,  together  with  his  retinue,  stepped  in 
and  bound  himself  by  a  sacred  oath  to  see  that  the 
regulations  of  the  Church  were  observed  during  the 
Conclave.  Every  one  of  the  Conclavists  in  like  man¬ 
ner  took  the  same  oath. 

After  these  last  ceremonies,  which  served  as  a 
prelude  to  the  Conclave,  were  completed,  each  Car¬ 
dinal  was  accompanied  by  a  Noble  Guard  to  the  cell 
assigned  him  by  lot.  The  cells  had  been  constructed 
in  a  part  of  the  Vatican  palace  known  under  the  name 
of  Cortile  di  San  Damaso. 

At  eight  o’clock,  the  master  of  ceremonies  went  to 
every  cell,  rang  a  small  silver  bell,  and  cried  out  at 
the  third  ringing,  “  Extra  omnes.”  Those  that  did 
not  belong  to  the  Conclave  left  the  rooms  immedi¬ 
ately.  The  Cardinal  Camerlengo,  accompanied  by 
the  senior  Cardinal  of  each  order,  proceeded  to  the 
entrance  of  the  Conclave  and  gave  the  keys  for  the 
outer  door  to  the  Marshal.  This  the  only  entrance — 
all  the  others  had  been  walled  up — was  closed  by 
means  of  two  doors.  The  Marshal  kept  the  keys  for 
the  outer,  the  Camerlengo  for  the  inner  door.  Thus 
the  closing  of  the  Conclave  was  completed  at  nine 
o’clock  in  the  evening. 

The  next  morning  the  master  of  ceremonies  rang 
the  silver  bell  at  intervals  of  half  an  hour,  and  cried 
out  “ad  capellam  Domini.’’  At  nine  o’clock,  the 
Cardinals  proceeded  to  the  Sistine  Chapel,  where 
the  Dean  of  the  College  of  Cardinals,  Luigi  Amat, 


246  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

said  low  Mass.  The  Cardinals  who  had  neither  the 
time  nor  convenience  to  offer  up  the  Holy  Sacrifice 
received  holy  communion.  After  Mass,  all  returned 
to  their  cells  to  take  their  breakfast.  Towards  noon 
the  first  ballot  took  place  by  sealed  tickets.  Cardinal 
Pecci  had  twenty-three  votes,  Cardinal  Bilio  eleven, 
Cardinal  Franchi*  four,  Cardinal  Panebianco  four  ;  the 


CARDINAL  FRANCHI. 


other  votes  were  scattered  among  various  Cardinals. 
But  this  ballot  was  declared  void,  because  one  of  the 
Cardinals  had,  contrary  to  the  regulation,  affixed  to 
his  paper  a  seal  which  bore  the  mark  of  the  dignity  of 
a  Cardinal.  In  the  evening  at  five  o’clock  the  second 
vote  took  place,  in  which  Cardinal  Pecci  received 
thirty-eight  votes  out  of  sixty-one,  or  more  than  one 
*  Died  Aug.  1,  1878. 


VOTING  FOR  THE  POPE. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


249 


half.  But  according  to  the  decree  of  Gregory  X. 
two  thirds  of  the  votes  are  required  for  the  election 
of  a  Pope. 

In  the  afternoon,  his  Eminence  Cardinal  Moraes 
Cardoso,  Patriarch  of  Lisbon,  arrived  in  Rome  and 
was  admitted,  with  the  customary  ceremonies,  into 


CARDINAL  PANEBI ANCO. 


the  Conclave.  The  double  locked  doors  were  opened, 
and,  with  the  same  formality,  locked  again.  A  faith¬ 
ful  record  of  the  whole  proceeding  was  drawn  up  by 
Monsignor  Pericoli,  Dean  of  the  Apostolic  Protono¬ 
taries,  and  by  the  Marshal  of  the  Conclave,  and  was 
signed  by  the  dean,  by  Prince  Philip  Lancellotti  and 
Count  Astolfo  Servanzi. 

On  the  following  day,  February  the  20th,  the  third 


250 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


and  last  ballot  took  place.  Cardinal  Pecci,  Bishop  of 
Perugia,  was  elected  Pope  by  forty-four  votes  out  of 
sixty-two.  Immediately  after  the  election,  the  Sub¬ 
dean  of  the  College  of  Cardinals  requested  Mgr.  Mar- 
tinucci,  whose  duty  it  was,  to  see  that  the  prescribed 
ceremonies  of  the  succession  should  be  performed. 
The  canopies  which  had  been  erected  over  the  seats 
of  the  Cardinals  were  removed,  with  the  exception 
of  the  ninth  on  the  Gospel  side,  which  belonged  to 
the  elect. 

The  Dean  of  the  Sacred  College  presented  him¬ 
self  before  the  newly  elected  Pope,  and  asked  him  : 
“  Acceptasne  electionem  in  Summum  Pontificem  ?” 
“  Do  you  accept  your  election  as  sovereign  Pontiff?” 
The  Pope  answered  that  he  was  unworthy  of  such  an 
honor  ;  but  since  all  had  chosen  him,  he  submitted  to 
God’s  will. 

The  dean  put  the  second  question  :  “  Quomodo  vis 
vocari  ?”  “  What  name  will  you  assume  ?”  The  Holy 
Father  answered  :  “  Leo  XIII.,”  in  memory  of  Leo 
XII.,  for  whom  he  had  ever  cherished  a  great  ven¬ 
eration. 

In  the  annals  of  the  Papacy  no  name  stands  out 
more  beautifully  than  that  of  Leo.  St.  Leo  the  Great 
stayed  Attila,  St.  Leo  III.  crowned  Charlemagne,  St. 
Leo  IV.  saved  Rome  from  the  Saracens.  St.  Leo 
IX.  subdued,  by  his  energy,  his  courage,  and  his 
virtues,  even  more  than  by  his  authority,  the  raging 
enemies  of  the  Church  ;  all  the  Leos,  veritable  lions, 
seem  particularly  predestined  to  represent  the  con¬ 
quering  lion  of  the  tribe  of  Juda.  Whilst  awaiting 
a  new  Charlemagne,  Leo  XIII.  stands,  from  his  very 
accession  to  the  Papal  throne,  in  presence  of  more 
than  one  Attila,  and  we  are  well  aware  that  the 
modern  Saracens  and  other_  enemies  of  the  Church 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  TIIE  THIRTEENTH 


251 


f' 


are  to-day  both  numerous  and  powerful.  Later  on, 
history  will  say  of  the  present  Pontiff  :  “  Vic  it  Leo  de 
tribu  Juda.”  “The  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Juda  hath 
conquered.” 


THE  PEOPLE  WATCHING  FOR  THE  “  SFUMATA.” 

Mgr.  Martinucci,  in  his  capacity  of  Apostolic 
Protonotary,  drew  up  the  act  of  acceptance  of  the 
supreme  Pontiff,  whilst  the  witnesses  were  Mgr. 
Lasagni,  Secretary  of  the  Sacred  College,  and  Mgr. 
Marinelli,  Bishop  of  Porphyria. 

The  newly  elected  Pope  retired  immediate^  to 


252 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


the  sacristy,  vested  himself  in  the  Papal  robes,  and 
returning  again  to  the  chapel,  gave  the  Cardinals  the 
apostolic  benediction  for  the  first  time.  The  Cardi¬ 
nals  kissed  his  hand  and  embraced  him.  Cardinal 
Schwarzenberg,  who  had  been  appointed  by  his  Holi¬ 
ness  pro-Camerlengo,  placed  the  Fisherman’s  Ring  on 
his  finger,  whereupon  the  Conclavists  were  admitted 


CARDINAL  CATERINI. 


to  kiss  his  feet.  The  joy  was  as  great  as  the  mourn¬ 
ing  over  the  death  of  Pius  IX.  had  been.  Even  on 
the  first  day  of  the  Conclave,  the  piazza  of  St.  Peter 
was  crowded  with  hundreds  of  persons  who  came 
thither  to  watch  for  the  “  Sfumata,”  or  smoke  issuing 
from  a  little  chimney  which  communicates  with  the 
inside  of  the  Sistine  Chapel.  When  the  ballot  does 
not  come  to  a  definite  conclusion,  the  tickets  are 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


253 


burned,  and  the  smoke,  which  can  be  observed  from 
without,  is  a  sign  that  no  election  has  taken  place. 

Thus  it  came  to  pass  that  most  of  the  people  who 
occupied  the  piazza  of  St.  Peter  at  noon,  and  witnessed 
the  smoke  ascending  from  the  chimney  had  dispersed 
when,  at  one  o’clock,  the  bars  of  the  great  Loggia 
on  the  facade  of  St.  Peter’s  were  withdrawn.  The 
few  persons  that  had  loitered  in  the  piazza  hastened 
towards  the  church.  There  appeared  at  the  Loggia, 
preceded  by  the  cross,  the  oldest  Cardinal-Deacon, 
Caterini,*  who,  notwithstanding  his  advanced  age  of 
83  years,  did  not  wish  to  be  deprived  of  the  honor  of 
announcing  to  the  Catholic  world,  the  successor  of 
Pius  IX.,  and  who  now  brought  to  the  assembled  mul¬ 
titude  the  glad  tidings  : 

“  Annuntio  vobis  gaudium  magnum  :  habemus 
Papam  Eminentissimum  et  Reverendissimum  Domi- 
num  Joachim  Pecci,  qui  sibi  imposuit  nomen  :  Leo 

XIII.” 

“  I  announce  to  you  great  joy  :  we  have  as  Pope, 
his  Eminence,  the  most  Reverend  Lord  Joachim 
Pecci,  who  takes  the  name  of  Leo  XIII.” 

Joyous  shouts  of  applause,  indefinitely  prolonged, 
greeted  the  happy  message.  The  news  that  a  sove¬ 
reign  had  been  granted  to  the  Church  of  Christ 
spread  with  lightning  rapidity  throughout  the  whole 
city.  Just  as  the  peals  of  the  bells  of  St.  Peter’s 
found  an  echo  in  the  bells  of  the  entire  city  of  Rome,  so 
the  joyful  news  of  “  Papa  Pecci,  Leone  XIII.,”  was 
on  all  lips  in  less  than  an  hour.  No  one  that  has  not 
witnessed  it  could  believe  it  possible  to  unite  in  one 
place,  and  in  less  than  two  hours,  thousands  and 
thousands  of  people  by  one  simple  word. 

Three  rows  of  carriages  and  princely  vehicles, 
with  numerous  lackeys,  drove  up  and  down  the 

*  Died  Oc’.ober  29,  1881. 


254 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


Borghi.  The  Leonine  City  swarmed  with  people  who 
poured  out  of  every  street  and  alley  like  bees  from 
their  hives. 

About  half-past  five  o’clock  the  windows  of  the 
interior  Loggia  were  thrown  open.  A  dense  mass 
hung  round  the  entrance  of  St.  Peter’s.  In  a  few 
moments  the  new  Pope,  Leo  XIII.,  made  his  ap¬ 
pearance.  The  faith  which  had  remained  dormant 
in  the  hearts  of  thousands  assembled  in  St.  Peter’s 
broke  forth  in  loud  acclamations.  A  cry  from  fifty 
thousand  voices,  which  the  grand  structure  of  St. 
Peter’s  alone  seemed  able  to  withstand,  greeted  the 
new  Pope. 

The  Monsignori  and  the  Cardinals  who  accom¬ 
panied  the  Holy  Father,  tried  in  vain  to  calm  the 
shouts.  The  exultation  and  joy  were  too  great  to  be 
silenced.  Then  the  new  Pontiff  stretched  out  his 
hands  over  the  assembled  multitude,  and  a  deathlike 
silence  ensued.  He  raised  his  eyes  towards  heaven 
and  remained  for  a  few  moments  in  this  attitude. 
His  tall,  emaciated  form  to\yered  above  all  his  attend¬ 
ants  ;  upon  the  red  cape  shone  the  golden  stole,  and 
his  snow-white  hair  formed  a  beautiful  contrast  with 
the  dark  background.  The  impressiveness  of  the 
moment  beggars  all  description. 

Turned  towards  the  high  altar  of  the  Basilica,  he 
sang,  with  a  clear  and  firm  voice  :  “  Adjutorium  nos¬ 
trum  in  nomine  Domini  to  which  a  choir  of 
thousands  of  voices  answered  in  unison  :  “  Qui  fecit 
coelum  et  terram.” 

The  Holy  Father  leaned  somewhat  over  the  railing 
of  the  Loggia  and  imparted  to  the  kneeling  multitude 
his  first  solemn  benediction. 

The  spectacle  which  was  witnessed  in  St.  Peter’s 
at  this  moment  was  sublime  in  the  highest  degree 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTPI, 


255 


What  is  it  that  makes  an  innumerable  multitude  of  men 
of  various  conditions  and  stations  in  life,  of  different 


THE  BASILICA  OF  ST.  PETER’S. 


habits  and  tastes,  of  various  countries  and  nations, 
without  material  force,  bend  their  knees  in  the  pres¬ 
ence  of  this  venerable  old  man  ?  Where  can  you 
find  a  spectacle  to  be  compared  to  this?  Thousands 


256  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

and  thousands  on  bended  knees,  thousands  and 
thousands  fixing  their  gaze  upon  one  point,  thou¬ 
sands  upon  thousands  whose  hearts  are  exultant 
with  joy,  thousands  upon  thousands  down  whose 
cheeks  flow  tears  of  joy  ;  and  above  them  all,  the 
majestic  form  of  the  Holy  Father  blessing  his  people. 


CARDINAL  MERTEL. 


in  the  name  of  the  Omnipotent  God — all  this  was  a 
sight  the  like  of  which  we  shall  look  for  in  vain  out¬ 
side  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

The  Holy  Father  retired  amid  the  shouts  of  : 
“  Viva  il  Papa  !  Viva  Leone  XIII.  !  Viva  il  Papa 
Rb  !” 

When  the  Marshal  of  the  Conclave  had  heard  the 
peals  of  the  bells  of  St.  Peter’s,  he  had  hastened,  with 


INTERIOR  OF  ST.  PETERS  CHURCH  IN  ROME. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


259 


his  escort,  to  the  gate  which  leads  to  the  reception- 
room  of  the  Cardinals.  At  the  Ruota,  Monsignor 
Lasagni  informed  him  officially  of  the  result  of  the 
Conclave  ;  but  the  doors  were  not  opened  until  four 
o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  Marshal  removed 
the  barriers,  and  had  the  honor  of  kissing  the  feet 
of  the  newly  elected  Pope  outside  of  the  Conclave. 

After  this  first  ceremony,  his  Holiness,  passing 
through  the  Sistine  Chapel,  entered  the  hall  of  the 
Paramenti,  where  he  admitted  to  the  kissing  of  his 
feet  the  prelates  and  personages  who  had  been  for  that 
day  employed  in  the  exterior  service  of  the  Conclave. 
After  this,  having  again  been  vested  in  his  pontifical 
robes,  the  Holy  Father,  preceded  by  two  apostolic 
notaries,  having  at  his  sides  the  Cardinal- Deacons 
Mertel  and  Consolini,  and  followed  by  Mgr.  Ricci, 
who  had  resumed  the  office  of  Major-domo,  and  by  the 
Almoner  and  the  Sacristans,  advanced  to  the  altar  of 
the  Sistine  Chapel.  After  having  knelt  there  and 
prayed,  he  rose  and  seated  himself  on  the  Scdia, 
placed  on  the  platform  of  the  altar,  to  receive  the 
homage  of  the  Cardinals. 

After  the  Dean  of  the  Cardinals  had  recited  the 
prayers,  super  Pontificem  electum,  the  Pope  solemnly 
gave  the  apostolic  benediction.  At  last,  having 
descended  from  the  Scdia  and  prayed  anew  on  his 
knees  before  the  altar,  he  returned  to  the  hall  of  the 
Paramenti.  Here  he  deposited  the  sacred  vestments 
and  went  back  to  his  apartments. 

During  that  time,  afl  the  bells  of  Rome  continued 
to  ring,  re-echoing  the  joy  of  the  people,  and  from 
among  the  multitudes  that  returned  from  the  Vati¬ 
can  a  long  murmur  arose  which  testified  to  the  gen¬ 
eral  gladness. 

In  the  evening,  the  following  proclamation  an- 


26o 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


nounced  the  election  of  his  Eminence  Cardinal  Pecci 
to  the  Papal  throne  : 

“Since  God  Almighty  has  deigned  to  raise  to 
the  Papal  throne  his  Holiness  Leo  XIII.,  it  is 
ordered  that  the  ‘  Te  Deum  laudamus  ’  be  sung 
and  the  prayer  which  is  found  in  the  ritual  under 
the  title  :  ‘  Preces  dicendas  in  processione  pro 

gratiarum  actione  ’  be  recited  in  the  churches  of 
the  Holy  City,  without  any  exception,  on  the  22d 
of  this  month,  at  ten  a.m.  Moreover,  all  the  bells 
of  Rome  shall  be  rung  solemnly  at  the  same  time 
during  the  space  of  one  hour.  Finally  we  prescribe 
that  in  thanksgiving  for  the  exaltation  of  his  Holiness 
Leo  XIII.  during  the  next  three  days,  viz.,  the  22d, 
23d,  and  24th  inst.,  the  Collect  ‘  pro  gratiarum 
actione  ’  be  added  in  every  sacrifice  of  the  Mass. 

“  Given  in  our  residence,  on  this  the  20th  day  of 
February,  1878. 

“  Raphael,  Cardinal- Vicar. 

“Can.  Placidus  Petacci,  Secretary.” 

On  February  the  22d,  after  the  Tc  Deum  had  been 
chanted  in  the  Sistine  Chapel,  his  Holiness  received 
the  ambassadors  of  France,  Spain,  Portugal,  and  Aus¬ 
tria  in  the  pontifical  apartments.  The  ambassador 
of  France,  M.  le  Baron  Baude,  was  the  first  admitted. 

Leo  XIII.  loves  France,  and  has  already  given 
several  testimonies  of  his  sympathy  for  that  country. 
Before  entering  the  Conclave,  he  received  in  his 
quality  of  Camerlengo,  in  special  audience  at  the  Vati¬ 
can,  the  French  delegates,  who  were  charged  to  pre¬ 
sent  to  him  the  address  of  the  Catholic  societies.  “  I 
thank  you  warmly,”  answered  his  Eminence,  “you 
and  all  the  works  which  you  represent.  It  is  a  great 
happiness  for  us  to  see  France  coming  forward  first 


Page  tii. 


THE  S1STINE  CHAPEL. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  263 

on  this  occasion  ;  for,  understand  it  well,  we  do  not 
confound  everything  that  comes  nowadays  from 
France  with  the  French  people,  who  have  ever  been 
so  much  attached  to  the  Floly  See  and  so  generous  to 
the  Church.  We  therefore  thank  France,  and  we 
pray  that  she  may  prosper  with  her  traditions  of  faith 
and  greatness.  She  is  at  present  in  a  critical  posi¬ 
tion  ;  but  let  us  hope  that  the  prayers  and  zeal  of  her 
children  may  draw  upon  her  the  graces  of  Heaven, 
and  that  soon  she  may  resume  the  post  of  honor 
which  she  has  always  occupied  so  gloriously.” 

Some  days  later,  at  the  moment  when  the  Sacred 
College  rendered  its  first  homage  to  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff,  Cardinal  Guibert  asked  the  Holy  Father’s 
blessing  for  himself,  for  the  diocese  of  Paris,  and  for 
the  whole  of  France.  Leo  XIII.  gave  his  blessing, 
adding  that  he  loved  France  much  on  account  of  her 
great  generosity  and  devotedness  to  the  Church. 

Lastly,  on  February  the  28th,  his  Holiness  said  to 
the  representatives  of  the  French  Catholic  Universi¬ 
ties  :  ‘‘France,  in  spite  of  her  misfortunes,  remains 
ever  worthy  of  herself  and  shows  that  she  has  not  lost 
her  vocation.  No  one  more  than  the  Vicar  of  Jesus 
Christ  has  cause  to  compassionate  the  sufferings  of 
France,  for  in  her  the  Holy  See  has  always  found  one 
of  its  strongest  supporters. 

“  To-day,  alas  !  she  has  lost  some  of  her  power  ; 
and,  weakened  by  the  divisions  of  party,  she  is  pre¬ 
vented  from  giving  free  scope  to  her  noble  instincts. 
And  yet,  what  has  she  not  done  for  the  Holy  See, 
even  after  her  many  disasters  ?  She  has  already 
given  it  the  pride  of  her  most  illustrious  families  ;  the 
little  Pontifical  army  was  to  a  great  extent  made  up 
of  the  sons  of  France  ;  and  from  the  time  they  could 
no  longer  serve  the  cause  of  the  Pope  with  their 


264  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

swords,  France  has  given  proof  of  her  attachment  to 
the  Holy  See  in  a  thousand  other  ways  ;  her  offerings 
always  form  a  considerable  part  of  the  Peter’s  pence. 

“  So  great  a  generosity  cannot  remain  unreward¬ 
ed.  God  will  bless  a  nation  which  is  capable  of  so 
many  noble  sacrifices,  and  history  will  yet  write  many 
a  beautiful  page  on  the  Gesta  Dei  per  Francos." 


CARDINAL  GUIBERT. 


From  the  day  following  his  election,  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff  received  at  the  Vatican  the  numerous  Catho¬ 
lics  that  had  come  from  all  parts  of  the  world  to  see 
him.  The  audiences  lasted  for  nine  hours.  In  one 
single  day,  Leo  XIII.  spoke  to  twelve  hundred 
persons  that  came  kneeling  one  by  one  before  him. 
At  times  he  had  to  rest  himself  awhile,  overcome  as 
he  was  by  fatigue.  They  begged  him  to  suspend  his 


LIFE  OF  FOPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  265 

audiences,  and  he  answered  with  mildness  :  “No, 
no,  these  dear  children  come  from  so  far  !”  and  he 
continued  his  daily  labor.  How  many  touching  de¬ 
tails  might  be  given  about  these  audiences,  which  the 
Holy  Father  grants  with  an  affability  and  a  gracious¬ 
ness  to  which  the  majesty  of  the  Pontiff  gives  a 
new  value.  He  is  a  father  to  all.  He  receives  and 
blesses  the  Roman  nobility,  the  representatives  of 
Catholic  associations,  those  of  the  press,  of  the  Pontif¬ 
ical  Zouaves.  No  one  is  excluded,  and  all  carry  away 
with  them  a  grateful  remembrance  of  the  Vatican. 
One  of  the  most  touching  audiences  was  that  given  to 
the  deputies  of  the  Perugian  clergy,  having  at  their 
head  the  mild  and  pious  Mgr.  Laurenzi,  Bishop  of 
Amata,  in partibus,  and  coadjutor  of  the  See  of  Peru¬ 
gia.  The  separation  was  hard.  During  thirty-two 
years  his  Eminence  Cardinal  Pecci  had  administered 
that  diocese  with  an  incomparable  wisdom,  goodness, 
and  vigor.  He  loved  and  he  was  loved  in  return  ;  on 
both  sides,  therefore,  there  were  tears.  The  father 
was  forced  to  abandon  the  children  of  his  apostolic 
heart,  the  children  saw  themselves  obliged  to  make 
the  sacrifice  of  their  father  to  the  Christian  world. 


CHAPTER  III. 


The  Coronation'.  Retirement  and  Prayer — The  Cortege — The  Papal  Throne 
— The  Tiara — Congratulations  of  the  Cardinals — The  Holy  Father’s  Answer. 


Meanwhile  the  day  of  the  coronation,  fixed  for 
Sunday,  the  3d  of  March,  was  approaching’.  His  Holi¬ 
ness  Leo  XIII.  wished  to  prepare  himself  for  that 
great  act  by  silence  and  recollection.  The  audiences 
were  suspended,  and  he  who  was  about  to  put  on  the 
highest  crown  on  earth  sought  in  prayer  and  medita¬ 
tion  the  strength  and  courage  of  which  he  stood  in 
need  to  fill  in  a  worthy  manner  the  throne  of  the 
glorious  Pius  IX. 

The  coronation  of  Leo  XIII.  was  to  take  place 
in  the  Basilica  of  St.  Peter.  Circumstances,  which 
were  particularly  sad,  determined  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff,  in  order  to  avoid  all  disorder,  to  choose  the 
Sistine  Chapel  for  that  grand  ceremony,  which  took 
place  with  all  possible  pomp. 

The  holy  father  left  his  apartments,  carried  on 
the  sedia  gestatoria,  accompanied  by  all  the  Cardinals, 
surrounded  by  his  Pontifical  Court. 

The  cortege  was  opened  by  the  Swiss  Guard 
and  by  the  bearer  of  the  Papal  cross.  They  were 
followed  by  the  scdiarii,  or  bearers  of  the  sedia  gesta¬ 
toria,  the  busso/anti,  and  the  mace-bearers,  arrayed  in 
their  rich  and  varied  costumes.  Then  followed  the 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  2 67 

Noble  Guard  and  the  two  princes  who  command  this 
corps,  with  Prince  Colonna  arrayed  in  a  costume 
resembling  that  of  a  Spanish  cavalier  in  the  time  of 
Philip  II. — a  white  ruff  around  the  neck,  black  dress, 
tunic-shaped,  black  stockings,  and  on  his  left  breast  a 
large  and  glittering  star.  He  is  Prince  Assistant  at 
the  Pontifical  Throne,  and  has  the  privilege  of  giving 
the  water  to  the  holy  father  at  the  lavations  during 
mass.  Beside  him  came  the  Marquis  Sacchetti,  also 
in  gala  costume  as  Foricre  maggiore  of  the  sacred  Apos¬ 
tolic  palaces.  These  immediately  preceded  the  Sov¬ 
ereign  Pontiff,  who  was  vested  in  red  mozzetta,  and 
was  surrounded  by  his  Noble  Guard  and  followed  by 
Mgr.  Ricci,  Major-domo,  Mgr.  Cataldi,  Pro-Master 
of  the  Chamber,  Mgr.  Samminiatelli,  Almoner,  Mgr. 
Marinelli,  Sacristan,  and  others  who  for  the  time 
being  hold  the  places  of  chamberlains  and  chaplains. 
His  Holiness  entered  into  the  Hall  of  Tapestries, 
where  he  was  vested  by  the  two  first  Cardinal- 
Deacons  in  his  sacred  robes,  and  on  his  head  was 
placed  a  mitre  of  cloth  of  gold.  When  this  cere¬ 
mony  was  completed,  the  Pope,  preceded  by  the 
Penitentiaries  of  the  Vatican  Basilica,  who  hear  con¬ 
fessions  in  so  many  different  languages,  by  the  Arch¬ 
bishops  and  Bishops  in  white  copes  and  white 
mitres,  amongst  whom  were  the  Greek  Deacon  and 
Subdeacon,  and  finally  by  the  Cardinals,  of  whom 
the  Cardinal-Deacons  wore  the  tonacella ,  or  tunic, 
the  priests  the  chasuble,  and  the  Archbishops  and 
Bishops  the  white  cope  of  cloth  of  silver  sown  with 
gold  ornaments,  and  all  with  white  mitres,  moved 
towards  the  Ducal  Hall,  which  was  fitted  up  as  a 
chapel,  and  on  the  arrival  of  the  procession  here,  his 
Holiness,  after  a  short  prayer,  took  his  place  on  the 
throne,  which  stood  on  the  Gospel  side  of  the  altar. 


268 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


The  Cardinals  then  approached  him  one  by  one  and 
tendered  him  their  obedience.  They  ascended  the 
steps  of  the  throne  one  by  one  and  kissed  the  right 
hand  of  the  Pontiff.  The  Archbishops  and  Bishops 
kissed  the  Pontiff’s  foot.  The  Holy  Father  then  im¬ 
parted  the  Apostolic  Benediction  and  intoned  the 
chant  of  Tierce,  which  was  continued  by  the  Pon¬ 
tifical  choir.  At  the  conclusion  of  this  chant,  the 
Pope  was  robed  in  the  Pontifical  vestments  brought 
to  him  by  the  clerks  of  the  Papal  Chapel,  and  the  first 
of  the  Cardinal-Deacons  placed  the  sacred  ring  upon 
his  finger.  Then  Cardinal  Mertel,  first  deacon  at  the 
ceremony,  with  staff  in  hand,  rose  up,  the  Proceda- 
mus  in  pace  was  sung,  and  the  procession  was  formed 
again  and  moved  in  the  same  order  in  which  it  came, 
except  that  immediately  following  the  cross-bearer 
came  the  consistorial  advocates,  and  in  front  of  the 
Cardinals  came  Prince  Ruspoli,  Master  of  the  Sacred 
Hospice  and  the  Mitred  Abbots.  When  the  cortege 
began  to  move,  his  Holiness  ascended  the  sedia  ges- 
tatoria ,  under  a  baldachino  of  cloth  of  silver  borne 
by  eight  dignitaries.  The  large  fans  of  white  ostrich 
feathers,  the  flabelli ,  were  again  seen  in  procession. 
The  Swiss  Guards  with  drawn  swords  surrounded 
the  Pontiff.  The  whole  style  and  arrangement  and 
grandeur  of  this  ceremony  equalled,  if  they  did  not 
surpass,  the  great  functions  formerly  witnessed  in  the 
Sistine  Chapel  during  Rome’s  palmy  days.  The  Sedia 
upon  which  the  Sovereign  Pontiff  was  borne  was  that 
presented  by  the  Neapolitan  Catholics  to  the  lament¬ 
ed  and  dearly  beloved  Pontiff  Pius  IX. 

In  the  Sistine  Chapel  the  throne  was  raised  upon 
the  marble  dais  on  the  Gospel  side  of  the  altar.  That 
spot  so  long  bare  and  unadorned  was  to-day  fitted 
with  its  proper  ornament.  Behind  the  altar,  over* 


THE  PROCESSION  IN  THE  DUCAL  HALL. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


27: 


shadowed  by  Michael  Angelo’s  terrible  “  Last  Judg¬ 
ment,”  with  its  mighty  and  muscular  figures,  was  an 
altar-piece  in  tapestry  representing  the  fitting  subject 
of  Christ  giving  the  keys  to  Peter.  The  floor  of  the 
chapel  was  covered  with  fine  green  baize,  and  the 
steps  of  the  throne  and  altar  with  red  cloth. 

As  the  procession  was  about  to  move,  a  clerk  of  the 


Papal  Chapel  brought  a  handful  of  flax  attached  to  a 
gilded  rod,  and  having  presented  it  to  a  master  of  cere¬ 
monies,  the  latter  knelt,  and  extending  the  rod,  burnt 
the  flax  in  presence  of  the  Holy  Father,  pronouncing 
at  the  same  time  in  a  grave  and  solemn  tone  :  Pater 
Sancte,  sic  transit  gloria  mundi .  “  Holy  Father,  thus 


CARDINAL  WISEMAN. 


272 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


passeth  away  the  glory  of  the  world.”  The  same  act 
was  repeated  at  the  entrance  of  the  Sistine  Chapel, 
and  finally  a  third  time  within  the  chapel  before 
the  enclosure  within  which  were  the  seats  of  the 
Cardinals.  Cardinal  Wiseman  wrote  of  this  cere¬ 
mony,  “  Three  times  is  this  impressive  rite  per¬ 
formed  in  that  procession,  as  though  to  counteract 
the  earthly  influences  of  a  triple  crown.”  It  is  to 
remind  the  Pontiff  that  the  glory  of  this  world  is  brief 
and  passing  as  the  flame  which  finishes  in  the  very 
act  of  kindling.  The  solemn  lesson  seemed  to  make 
a  deep  impression  on  the  mind  of  Leo  XIII. 

A  magnificent  spectacle  was  now  presented  to 
the  eye  in  the  Sistine  Chapel.  A  large  number  of 
persons  were  present  in  the  tribunes.  In  the  Royal 
gallery  were  their  Royal  Highnesses  the  Duke  and 
Duchess  of  Parma,  with  their  suite.  In  the  other 
tribunes  were  the  ambassadors  and  ministers  accred¬ 
ited  to  the  Vatican,  with  the  persons  attached  to  the 
embassies,  and  representatives  of  the  Order  of  St. 
John  of  Jerusalem  and  of  the  Knights  of  Calatrava, 
all  in  grand  uniform  and  sparkling  with  decora¬ 
tions.  On  the  same  side,  in  another  tribune,  were 
the  Roman  princes  and  patricians  with  their  fami¬ 
lies,  and  many  distinguished  personages,  Italian  and 
foreign.  A  tribune  to  the  right  was  occupied  by 
ladies  in  black  dresses  and  veils. 

When  the  Pontiff  arrived  before  the  Papal  altar, 
he  descended  from  the  sedia  gcstatoria,  and  after  a 
brief  prayer  began  the  Introit  of  the  Mass.  The 
Confiteor  being  finished,  the  Pope  sat  on  the  throne, 
and  the  three  first  Cardinal-Bishops,  Di  Pietro,  Sac- 
coni,  and  Guidi,  recited  the  three  customary  prayers, 
super  electum  Pontificcm,  after  which  he  descended, 
and,  standing  before  the  first  step  of  the  altar,  the 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


2/3 


first  Cardinal-Deacon  removed  the  mitre  from  his 
head,  and  the  second  Cardinal-Deacon,  Mertel, 
placed  upon  his  shoulders  the  Pontifical  Pallium, 
which  the  Pope  first  kissed,  and  which  was  fastened 
by  three  gold  pins.  Cardinal  Mertel,  on  imposing  it, 
pronounced  the  following  words  :  Accipc pallium  sanc¬ 
tum ’,  plenitudinem  Pontificalis  officii,  ad  honorem  omni¬ 
pot  cut  is  Dei,  et  gloriosissimcB  Virginis  Maria,  ejus  mat r is, 
et  Beatorum  Apostolorum  Petri  ct  Pauli,  et  Sand  a  Romance 
Ecclesice."  When  his  Holiness  had  received  the  pallium 
he  ascended  the  altar  and  thence  proceeded  to  the 
throne,  where  he  received  the  full  obedience  of  the 
Cardinals,  who  kissed  his  foot  and  his  hand  and  then 
received  the  kiss  of  peace,  for  which  his  Holiness  rose 
slightly  from  his  throne.  The  Archbishops  and  Bish¬ 
ops  kissed  his  foot  and  his  knee  and  the  Penitentiaries 
his  foot  only.  The  Pope  then  proceeded  to  the  altar 
and  the  Mass  was  continued,  with  all  the  prayers 
proper  for  the  coronation. 

On  the  conclusion  of  the  Mass,  the  Holy  Father 
removed  the  maniple,  sat  again  upon  the  throne, 
while  the  choir  sang  Corona  aurea  super  caput  ejus, 
composed  expressly  for  this  occasion  by  the  maestro, 
Signor  Pasquali,  of  Carpineto,  the  birth-place  of  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff.  The  Cardinal-Deacon  then  in¬ 
toned  the  prescribed  versicles  and  the  following 
prayer  :  Omnipotens  sempiterne  Deris,  dignitas  saccr- 
dotii,  ct  auctor  regni,  da  gratiam  famulo  tuo  Leoni 
Pontifici  nostro,  ecclesiam  tuam  fructuose  regendi,  ut  ab  eo 
qui  tua  dementia  pater  regum,  ct  rector  omnium  jidelium 
constituitur  et  coronatur ,  salubri  tua  dispositione  cuncta 
bene gubernentur,  Per  Christum,  etc.,  to  which  the  can¬ 
tors  replied,  Amen.  Then  the  second  Cardinal-Dea¬ 
con,  who  stood  at  the  left  of  the  throne,  removed  the 
mitre  from  the  head  of  the  Pontiff,  and  the  first  Cardi- 


274 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


nal-Deacon,  who  stood  at  his  right,  imposed  the  tiara 
upon  him,  at  the  same  time  saying  in  a  loud  voice 
these  words  :  Accipe  Tiaram  tribus  coronis  ornatam, 
et  scias  Te  esse  Patrem  Principum  et  Regum ,  Rector  cm 
Or  bis,  in  terra  Vicar  ium  Salvator  is  nostri  Jesu  Christi, 
cui  est  honor  et  gloria  in  scecula  sceculorum .  A  men. 

The  tiara  placed  upon  the  head  of  Leo  XIII.  was 
that  presented  to  the  Holy  Father  Pius  IX.  by  the 
Palatine  Guard  of  Honor. 

This  was  the  most  beautiful  and  touching  part  of 
the  ceremony,  and  produced  a  deep  impression  upon 
the  hearts  of  ail  present.  Many  an  eye  was  wet  with 
tears  as  the  Cardinal  placed  this  crown,  this  symbol 
of  majesty  and  power,  spiritual  and  temporal — alas  ! 
the  temporal  rule  is  no  more — upon  the  head  of  a 
Pontiff  who  is  rapidly  nearing  the  ordinary  term  of 
human  life.  All  seemed  so  frail,  yet  it  was  destined 
to  last  forever.  The  centuries  of  the  past  have  but 
strengthened  the  Church,  the  earthly  head  of  which 
is  that  aged  man  sitting  before  us  with  the  tiara  upon 
his  head.  And  as  the  flaming  flax  signified  the  tran¬ 
sitory  nature  of  worldly  glory,  so  does  this  feeble 
Pontiff  typify  an  ever  powerful  endurance  and  a  per¬ 
petual  resistance  to  the  mighty  ones  of  the  world. 

The  act  of  coronation  being  accomplished,  His 
Holiness  imparted  the  triple  benediction  to  all  pres¬ 
ent.  This  was  followed  by  the  reading  in  Latin 
and  Italian  of  the  Bulls  of  Indulgence  by  the  Car¬ 
dinal-Deacons.  Then  in  the  midst  of  a  breathless 
silence  and  a  religious  respect,  the  Pontiff,  seated  on 
the  sedia  gestatoria,  with  the  tiara  on  his  head,  accom¬ 
panied  by  the  Cardinals  and  the  procession  as  be¬ 
fore,  passed  from  the  chapel,  blessing  the  people 
kneeling  on  both  sides.  Then  having  laid  aside  the 
Pontifical  vestments  in  the  Hall  of  Tapestries,  and 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  277 

surrounded  by  the  Sacred  College,  by  Archbishops 
and  Bishops,  and  Penitentiaries  of  St.  Peter’s,  he 
listened  to  the  following  address  read  by  His  Emi¬ 
nence  Cardinal  Di  Pietro  : — 

“  Since  our  votes,  inspired  by  God,  have  caused 
the  selection  for  the  great  dignity  of  Sovereign 
Pontiff  of  the  Catholic  Church  to  fall  upon  your 
Holiness,  we  have  passed  from  profound  affliction  to 
a  lively  hope.  To  the  tears  which  we  shed  upon  the 
tomb  of  Pius  IX.,  a  Pope  so  greatly  venerated 
throughout  the  whole  world,  and  so  beloved  by  us, 
succeeds  the  consoling  thought  that  there  arises 
rapidly  a  new  dawn  with  well  founded  hopes  for  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ. 

“  Yes,  Most  Holy  Father,  you  gave  sufficient 
proofs  of  your  piety,  of  your  apostolic  zeal,  of  your 
many  virtues,  of  your  high  intelligence,  of  your 
prudence  and  of  the  deep  interest  you  took  in  the 
glory  and  the  majesty  of  our  Sacred  College,  when 
you  ruled  the  diocese  entrusted  to  you  by  Divine 
Providence,  or  took  part  in  the  grave  affairs  of  the 
Holy  See  ;  so  that  we  can  easily  persuade  ourselves 
that  being  elected  Sovereign  Pontiff  you  will  do  as 
the  Apostle  wrote  of  himself  to  the  Thessalonians  : 
For  our  Gospel  hath  not  been  to  you  in  word  only  but  in 
power  also,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  in  much  fulness. 

“  Nor,  indeed,  was  the  Divine  Will  slow  to  man¬ 
ifest  itself,  that  Will  which  by  our  suffrages  repeated 
to  you  the  words  formerly  spoken  to  David  when  he 
was  declared  King  in  Israel  :  Thou  shalt  feed  my  people 
Israel ;  and  thou  shalt  be  ruler  over  them. 

“  To  which  Divine  disposition  it  is  gratifying  to 
us  to  see  how  suddenly  the  general  sentiment  corre¬ 
sponds,  and  how  all  concur  in  venerating  your  sacred 
person,  as  the  tribes  of  Israel  prostrated  themselves 


278  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

in  Hebron  before  the  new  pastor  allotted  to  them  by 
God.  So  we  likewise  hasten,  on  this  solemn  day 
of  your  coronation,  like  the  elders  of  the  chosen 
people,  to  repeat  to  you,  in  pledge  of  affection  and  of 
obedience,  the  words  recorded  in  the  sacred  pages  : 
Behold  we  are  thy  bone  and  thy  flesh. 

“  May  heaven  grant  that,  as  the  holy  Book  of 
Kings  adds  that  David  reigned  forty  years — qnadra- 
ginta  annis  regnavit — so  ecclesiastical  history  may 
record  for  posterity  the  length  of  the  Pontificate  of 
Leo  XIII. 

“  These  are  the  sentiments  and  the  sincere  wishes 
that  in  the  name  of  the  Sacred  College  I  place  at 
your  sacred  feet.  Deign  benignantly  to  accept  them, 
by  imparting  to  us  your  Apostolic  benediction.” 

The  Holy  Father  received  these  sentiments  of  the 
Sacred  College  in  the  most  benignant  manner,  and 
replied  to  them  in  the  following  words  : 

“  The  noble  and  affectionate  words  which  your 
Most  Reverend  Eminence,  in  the  name  of  the  whole 
Sacred  College,  has  just  addressed  to  us,  deeply 
touch  our  heart,  already  deeply  moved  by  the  un¬ 
expected  event  of  our  exaltation  to  the  Supreme 
Pontificate,  which  has  happened  without  any  merit 
of  ours. 

“  The  weight  of  the  sovereign  Keys,  already  of 
itself  so  formidable,  which  has  been  imposed  upon 
our  shoulders,  is  rendered  heavier  still  by  our  little¬ 
ness,  which  is  overburdened  by  it. 

“  The  very  rite  which  has  now  been  accomplished 
with  so  much  solemnity  has  made  us  understand 
still  more  the  majesty  and  height  of  the  See  to 
which  we  are  raised,  and  has  increased  in  our  soul  the 
idea  of  the  greatness  of  this  sublime  throne  on  earth. 

“  And  since  you,  Lord  Cardinal,  have  wished  to 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  279 

compare  us  to  David,  the  words  of  the  same  holy 
King  recur  spontaneously  to  our  mind,  when  he  said  : 
Quis  ego  sum  Domine  Deus,  quia  adduxisti  vie  hucusque  ? 
‘  Who  am  I,  O  Lord  God,  that  Thou  hast  brought  me 
here  ?  ’ 

“  Nevertheless,  in  the  midst  of  so  many  just 
reasons  for  alarm  and  for  comfort,  it  consoles  us  to 
see  all  Catholics,  in  unanimous  concord,  pressing 
around  this  Apostolic  See  to  give  it  a  public  testi¬ 
mony  of  obedience  and  of  love. 

“  The  concord  and  the  affection  of  all  the  Sacred 
College,  which  is  most  dear  to  us,  and  also  the  cer¬ 
tainty  of  their  co-operation  in  the  fulfilment  of  the 
difficult  ministry  to  which  their  votes  have  called  us, 
consoles  us. 

“  Trust  in  the  most  merciful  God,  who  has  deigned 
to  raise  us  to  such  a  height,  comforts  us  ;  whose  as¬ 
sistance  we  will  never  cease  to  implore  with  all  the 
fervor  of  our  heart ;  and  we  desire  that  by  all  He  may 
be  implored,  mindful  of  that  which  the  Apostle  says  : 
Our  sufficiency  is  from  God. 

“  Persuaded  then  that  it  is  He  who  selects  the 
weak  things  of  the  earth  to  confound  the  strong — 
Infirma  mundi  digit  ut  confundat  fortia — we  live  in  the 
hope  that  He  will  sustain  our  weakness  and  raise 
up  our  humility  to  show  forth  His  power  and  to  make 
His  strength  resplendent. 

“  With  all  our  heart  we  thank  your  Eminence  for 
the  courteous  sentiments  and  for  the  sincere  wishes 
which  you,  in  the  name  of  the  Sacred  College,  have 
addressed  to  us,  and  which  we  accept  with  our  whole 
soul. 

“We  conclude  by  imparting  with  all  our  heart 
the  Apostolic  benediction— Bcncdictio,  etc.” 

The  Holy  Father  then  arose  and  went  to  his  apart- 


280 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


ments  m  the  Vatican.  Thus  concluded  the  great 
event  of  this  day.  When  the  strange  conditions 
under  which  this  coronation  took  place  are  considered, 
it  will  leave  a  deep  and  lasting  impression  on  the 
minds  of  those  who  were  present.  The  majesty  and 
grandeur  of  the  ceremony;  all  that  it  represented  of 
the  past,  and  of  the  present  ;  the  long  line  of  illus¬ 
trious  predecessors*  of  Leo  XIII.  who  have  worn 
this  crown  ;  their  vicissitudes  and  fortunes  which  his 
tory  relates,  and  their  invincible  endurance  in  the 
midst  of  the  destruction  of  crowns  and  thrones,  and 
the  decay  of  kingdoms  and  powers,  constitute  this 
coronation  of  the  263d  Roman  Pontiff  an  act  to  which 
nothing  on  earth  can  be  compared,  and  which  far  sur¬ 
passes  all  other  coronations. 

*  The  whole  number  of  Popes  from  St.  Peter  to  Pius  the  Ninth  in¬ 
clusive  is  262.  Of  these  82  are  venerated  as  saints,  33  of  whom  are 
martyrs.  One  hundred  and  four  were  Romans,  and  108  natives  of 
Italy  ;  15  Frenchmen  ;  9  Greeks  ;  7  Germans  ;  5  Asiatics  ;  3  Afri¬ 
cans  ;  3  Spaniards  ;  2  Dalmatians  ;  1  Hebrew  ;  1  Thracian  ;  1  Dutch¬ 
man  ;  1  Portuguese  ;  1  Candiot  ;  and  one  Englishman.  The  name 
most  commonly  taken  was  John  ;  the  23d  and  last  was  a  Neapoli¬ 
tan,  raised  to  the  Chair  in  1410.  Nine  Pontiffs  reigned  less  than 
one  month,  thirty  less  than  one  year,  and  II  more  than  twenty  years  ; 
only  5  occupied  the  Pontifical  Chair  over  23  years  ;  these  are  St. 
Peter,  who  was  Supreme  Pastor  in  Antioch  for  about  seven  or  eight 
years,  and  twenty-five  years,  two  months,  and  seven  days  in  Rome  ; 
Silvester  I.,  23  years,  10  months,  27  days  ;  Adrian  I.,  22  years,  10 
months,  17  days  ;  Pius  VI.,  24  years,  8  months,  i_  days  ;  Pius  IX., 
who  celebrated  his  31st  year  in  the  Pontifical  Chair,  June  16,  1877,  had 
the  longest  reign  except  St.  Peter,  being  Pope  for  31  years,  7  months 
and  20  days. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


The  First  Year  of  Pontificate.  The  Difficulties  of  the  Position — Leo 
XIII.  Communicates  the  News  of  his  Election  to  the  Governments — Answer 
of  Switzerland,  Russia,  and  Germany — The  Scotch  Hierarchy — Address  to 
the  Parish  Priests  of  Rome  and  to  the  Lenten  Preachers — The  First  Con¬ 
sistory — Allocution  of  Leo  XIII. — Cardinal’s  Hat  bestowed  on  Cardinal 
McCloskey — The  First  Encyclical — Death  of  Cardinal  Franchi — Brief  of  Leo 
XIII.  to  Cardinal  Nina — Care  for  Higher  Ecclesiastical  Studies  according  to 
the  Doctrine  of  St.  Thomas — Address  on  this  Subject  to  the  Professors  of  the 
Roman  College — Brief  to  the  Archbishop  of  Cologne — Encyclical  of  Decem¬ 
ber  28th — J  ubilee  Proclamation. 


Leo  XIII.,  raised  to  the  highest  dignity  on  earth, 
bearing  on  his  head  the  triple  crown  and  in  his  hands 
the  mysterious  keys  of  the  Kingdom  of  God,  can  now 
look  down,  from  his  lofty  throne,  on  the  nations  of 
the  globe,  the  great  flock  committed  to  his  care. 
Truly  his  position  is  not  enviable,  nor  is  his  task  light. 
To  succeed  to  Pius  IX.,  than  whom  no  Pope  ever 
won  more  hearts  or  wielded  a  wider  influence,  was  of 
itself  sufficient  to  dishearten  the  best  of  men.  But 
Leo  felt  that  God  had  placed  the  burden  on  his 
shoulders,  and  whilst,  on  the  one  hand,  he  acknowl¬ 
edged  his  own  weakness,  on  the  other  he  filled  his 
soul  with  boundless  confidence  in  Him  who  had  said 
that  the  gates  of  hell  should  never  prevail  against  His 
Church,  which  he  had  built  on  Peter  and  on  his  suc¬ 
cessors. 

The  new  Pontiff  had  reason  to  fear  that  the  mod¬ 
eration  and  regard  which  had  been  used  towards  his 
venerable  predecessor,  even  by  the  bitterest  enemies 
of  the  Church  and  of  the  Holy  See,  would  be  suc¬ 
ceeded  by  violence  and  extreme  insolence  towards 
himself.  The  whole  world  would  have  cried  out 
against  the  man,  how  great  and  powerful  soever  he 


282 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


might  be,  who  would  have  raised  his  hand  against  the 
gentle  Pius ;  but  did  it  not  seem  that  the  enemies  of 
the  Papacy  had  been  impatiently  awaiting  the  death 
of  him  whom  they  durst  not  touch,  to  exercise  their 
wrath  on  his  successor? 

But  the  new  Pope  looked  upward  to  the  source  of 
strength  to  battle  against  the  world,  and  there,  on 
high,  was  “  Lumen  in  Coelo,”  a  ray  from  heaven,  which 
showed  his  way  and  brought  hope  of  a  better  future. 


THE  ARMS  OF  POPE  LEO  XIII. 


It  is  customary  for  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  as  for 
other  sovereigns,  to  announce  his  accession  to  the 
courts  of  Europe.  Leo  XIII.  complied  with  this 
formality,  not  excluding  from  his  courtesy  even  the 
States  which  had  been  most  hostile  to  the  Church 
under  the  preceding  Pope.  His  letters  to  the  Swiss 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  283 

Confederation,  to  the  Emperor  of  Germany,  and  to 
the  Czar,  were  the  olive  branch  of  reconciliation  held 
out  to  those  rulers  by  the  Church  they  had  perse¬ 
cuted,  as  well  as  a  means  by  which  they  might  have 
honorably  withdrawn  from  a  false  position.  We  will 
here  give  some  of  these  documents,  as  proofs  of  the 
sincerest  good  faith  on  the  one  side,  and  of  the  most 
meaningless  professions  on  the  other. 

The  following  is  the  text  of  the  letter  to  the  Swiss 
Federal  Council  : 

LEO  PP.  XIII. 

To  His  Excellency  the  President  of  the  Swiss  Confed¬ 
eration. 

“Your  Excellency: — Raised  by  the  will  of 
God,  and  not  through  any  merit  of  ours,  to  the  high 
chair  of  the  Prince  of  the  Apostles,  we  hasten  to 
inform  your  Excellency,  trusting  that  this  our  per¬ 
sonal  communication  of  the  fact  will  be  agreeable  and 
welcome  to  you.  We  regret  that  the  friendly  rela¬ 
tions  which  formerly  subsisted  between  the  Holy  See 
and  the  Swiss  Confederation  have  for  some  years 
been  painfully  interrupted,  and  that  the  condition 
of  the  Catholic  religion  in  Switzerland  is  much  to  be 
lamented.  With  full  confidence  in  the  sentiments  of 
rectitude  which  animate  your  Excellency  and  the 
Swiss  people,  we  hope  that  some  means  will  soon  be 
found  for  putting  an  end  to  this  evil  state  of  things, 
and,  in  the  pleasing  expectation  of  this,  we  beseech 
the  Lord  to  grant  you  the  fulness  of  His  heavenly 
blessings,  and  we  pray  Him  at  the  same  time  to  unite 
you  with  us  in  the  bonds  of  perfect  charity. 

“  Given  at  St.  Peter’s,  Rome,  February  20,  1878, 
in  the  first  year  of  our  Pontificate. 


Leo  PP.  XIII.” 


284  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

To  this  nobly-spoken  message  the  following  reply 
was  sent  by  the  Swiss  Council  : 

“  To  His  Holiness  Pope  Leo  XIII. 

“  Most  Holy  Father: — Your  Holiness  has  con¬ 
descended,  by  your  Brief  of  February  20,  of  this 
year,  to  acquaint  the  Swiss  Federal  Council  of  your 
elevation  to  the  Apostolic  Chair,  which  took  place  on 
that  day.  The  Federal  Council  has  received  this 
communication  with  the  most  lively  interest,  and 
will  not  permit  this  occasion  to  pass  without  offer¬ 
ing  to  Your  Holiness  their  most  sincere  good  wishes, 
together  with  their  thanks  for  the  Brief  with  which 
you  have  honored  them. 

“  When  Your  Holiness  designates  the  condition  of 
the  Catholics  of  Switzerland  as  lamentable,  the  Coun¬ 
cil  must  observe  on  its  side  that  your  religion,  like  all 
others,  enjoys  a  freedom,  which  is  guaranteed  to  it 
by  the  Federal  Constitution,  and  is  only  restricted  by 
the  condition  that  the  ecclesiastical  authorities  shall 
not  assail  either  the  rights  and  powers  of  the  State, 
or  the  rights  and  liberties  of  the  citizens. 

“  The  Federal  Council  will  consider  itself  fortu¬ 
nate  in  being  able,  within  its  own  sphere  of  action, 
to  support  the  exertions  of  your  Holiness  to  maintain 
religious  peace  and  a  good  understanding  between 
the  several  religious  denominations  in  Switzerland. 
With  this  sentiment  it  avails  itself  of  this  first  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  convey  to  your  Holiness  the  assurance  of  its 
distinguished  veneration,  and  with  you  to  recommend 
itself  to  the  protection  of  the  Almighty. 

“  Bern,  April  5,  1878. 

"In  the  name  of  the  Swiss  Federal  Council. 

"  Schenk. 

“  The  Chancellor  of  the  Confederation,  Schiess." 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  285 

It  is  easy  to  trace  this  document  to  the  leaders 
of  the  “  Cultur-Kampf,  ”  which  has  desolated  the 
Church  in  Germany  and  Switzerland,  in  the  name  of 
justice  and  civil  rights.  And  it  is  this  shameless  as 
well  as  heartless  diplomacy  that  now  rules  the  world. 

The  Brief  addressed,  on  the  same  occasion,  to 
William  Emperor  of  Germany  is  couched  in  the  fol¬ 
lowing  terms  : 

“  Having  been,  by  the  inscrutable  designs  of  God, 
and  without  any  merit  of  our  own,  raised  to  the  See 
of  the  Prince  of  the  Apostles,  we  deem  it  our  duty  to 
make  this  fact  known  to  your  Royal  and  Imperial 
Majesty,  under  whose  glorious  and  powerful  sceptre 
live  so  large  a  number  of  the  professors  of  our  holy 
religion. 

“We  find  to  our  sorrow  that  the  relations  which 
once  existed  between  the  Holy  See  and  your  Majes¬ 
ty  have  been  broken  ;  and  we  therefore  appeal  to 
your  magnanimity  for  the  restoration  of  peace  and 
tranquillity  of  conscience  to  that  portion  of  your  sub¬ 
jects.  The  Catholics  of  Prussia,  as  in  duty  bound  by 
the  faith  they  profess,  will  not  fail  to  prove  them¬ 
selves  grateful,  devoted  and  faithful  towards  your 
Majesty. 

“  Convinced  of  your  Majesty’s  equity,  we  beg  our 
Lord  to  bestow  on  you  the  abundance  of  His 
heavenly  gifts,  and  we  implore  Him  to  unite  us  to 
your  Majesty  in  the  bonds  of  the  most  perfect  Chris¬ 
tian  charity.” 

A  similar  letter,  almost  in  the  same  terms,  was  ad¬ 
dressed  to  the  Czar  of  Russia. 

The  answer  from  the  Court  of  Berlin  did  not  appear 
till  the  24th  of  March,  and  was  evidently  intended  to 
influence  the  then  approaching  elections  in  Prussia, 
though  it  gave  little  hope  of  better  things  for  Catho- 


2o6  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

lies.  After  the  usual  preliminaries,  the  Emperor  is 
made  to  say  :  “  Your  Holiness  with  reason  observes 
that  our  Catholic  subjects,  like  their  Protestant  fellow- 
citizens,  yield  obedience  to  authority  and  to  the  laws, 
as  their  common  faith  in  Christ  requires.  We  are 
happy  to  perceive,  from  the  friendly  expressions  of 
your  Holiness,  that  you  are  disposed  to  use  the  power 
which  your  exalted  position  places  in  your  hands  to 
induce  those  of  our  Catholic  subjects  who  have 
hitherto  been  forgetful  of  their  duty  to  obey  the 
laws  of  the  country  in  which  they  live.” 

A  letter  dictated  to  the  Prince  Imperial,  in  answer 
to  the  Holy  Father’s  congratulations  to  the  Emperor 
on  his  happy  escape  from  the  plots  laid  against  his 
life,  more  openly  declares  the  determination  of  the 
Imperial  Government  to  maintain  the  crying  injustice 
of  the  “  May  laws.  ”  One  sentence  from  the  letter  will 
suffice  :  ‘‘In  answer  to  the  request  of  your  Holiness, 
in  the  letter  of  the  17th  of  April,  that  the  constitution 
and  the  laws  of  Prussia  may  be  so  modified  as  to  be 
conformable  to  the  dogmas  of  the  Catholic  Church 
[be  it  remarked  that  the  Holy  Father’s  words  are  not 
correctly  quoted],  I  must  say  that  no  Prussian  mon¬ 
arch  can  ever  accept  it,  for  the  reason  that  the  inde¬ 
pendence  of  the  monarchy  would  be  diminished  if  the 
free  exercise  of  its  legislation  were  made  subordinate 
to  a  foreign  power.”  Socialism,  in  its  worst  form, 
may  yet  punish  the  rulers  of  Prussia  for  rejecting  the 
only  means  which  might  have  stayed  the  decline  of 
their  power. 

The  Czar’s  answer  was  dated  the  22d  of  February, 
which  corresponds  to  the  6th  of  March  in  the  Gre¬ 
gorian  Calendar.  It  congratulates  the  Holy  Father  on 
his  elevation,  and  then,  with  the  usual  truthfulness  of 
modern  diplomacy,  continues  : 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


287 


“  It  has  not  depended  on  us  that  tne  Roman  Cath¬ 
olic  Church,  like  all  the  other  churches  which  exist 
in  our  empire,  has  not  fulfilled,  in  entire  security,  the 
mission  which  religion,  strictly  independent  of  all 
political  influence,  is  called  upon  to  exercise  for  the 
edification  and  moral  improvement  of  the  people. 
Your  Holiness  may  be  assured  that  within  these 
limits  the  protection  compatible  with  the  fundamen¬ 
tal  laws  of  our  empire  will  be  given  to  the  Church 
of  which  you  are  the  spiritual  head.”  One  glance  at 
Poland  and  another  at  the  swarms  of  exiled  bishops, 
priests,  and  Catholics  in  Siberia  will  suffice  to  show 
that  it  were  better  for  Alexander  II.  to  speak  less  of 
the  fundamental  laws  of  his  empire  and  to  think  more 
of  the  fundamental  law  of  eternal  justice,  which  no 
potentate  has  ever  disregarded  with  impunity. 

Let  us  turn  from  this  sad  spectacle  of  duplicity  to 
more  consoling  subjects.  One  of  the  first  objects  to 
which  Leo  XIII.  turned  his  attention  was  the  per¬ 
fecting  of  a  great  work  that  had  been  begun  by  Pius 
IX.  This  was  the  restoration  of  the  hierarchy  in 
Scotland,  in  the  hope  that  the  true  faith  would  then 
take  deeper  root  and  flourish  with  greater  luxuri¬ 
ance,  as  had  been  the  case  when  the  hierarchy  was 
established  in  England. 

The  Apostolic  letters  on  this  subject  bear  the  date 
of  March  4th,  1878,  and  their  tenor  is  as  follows  : 

LEO,  BISHOP,  SERVANT  OF  THE  SERVANTS  OF  GOD, 
FOR  A  PERPETUAL  REMEMBRANCE. 

From  the  highest  summit  of  the  apostolic  office, 
to  which,  without  any  merits  of  ours,  but  by  the  dis¬ 
position  of  Providence,  we  have  recently  been  raised, 
the  Roman  Pontiffs,  our  predecessors,  never  ceased  to 
watch,  as  from  a  mountain-top,  in  order  that  they 


288 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


might  perceive  what,  as  years  rolled  on,  would  be 
most  conducive  to  the  prosperity,  dignity,  and  sta¬ 
bility  of  all  the  churches.  Hence,  as  far  as  was  given 
them,  they  were  exceedingly  solicitous  not  only  to 
erect  Episcopal  Sees  in  every  land,  but  also  to  recall 
to  life  such  as  had  through  evil  times  ceased  to  exist. 
For,  since  the  Holy  Ghost  has  placed  bishops  to  rule 
the  Church  of  God,  wherever  the  state  of  religion 
allows  the  ordinary  Episcopal  government  to  be  either 
established  or  restored,  it  certainly  is  not  lawful  to 
deprive  the  Church  of  the  benefits  which  naturally 
flow  from  this  divinely  established  institution. 

Wherefore  our  immediate  predecessor,  Pius  IX., 
of  sacred  memory,  whose  recent  death  we  all  deplore, 
seeing,  even  from  the  beginning  of  his  Pontificate, 
that  the  missions  in  the  most  noble  and  flourishing 
kingdom  of  England  had  made  such  progress  that  the 
form  of  Church  government  which  exists  in  Catholic 
nations  would  be  beneficial  to  religion,  restored  to  the 
English  their  ordinary  bishops  by  an  Apostolic  letter, 
dated  ist  October,  1850,  beginning  Universalis  ecclesice ; 
and,  not  long  after,  perceiving  that  the  illustrious  re¬ 
gions  of  Holland  and  Brabant  could  enjoy  the  same 
salutary  dispositions,  he  there  also  restored  the  Epis¬ 
copal  hierarchy  by  another  Apostolic  letter,  dated  4th 
March,  1853,  beginning  Ex  qua  die.  The  wisdom  of 
these  measures — to  say  nothing  of  the  restoration  of 
the  Patriarchate  of  Jerusalem — has  been  amply  proved 
by  the  result  which,  through  the  divine  grace,  has 
fully  realized  the  hopes  of  this  Holy  See  ;  since  it  is 
evident  to  all  that  a  great  increase  was  given  to  the 
Catholic  Church  in  each  of  those  countries  through 
the  restoration  of  the  Episcopal  hierarchy. 

The  loving  heart  of  the  Pontiff  was  grieved  that 
Scotland  could  not  as  yet  enjoy  the  same  good  for- 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  289 

tune.  And  this  grief  of  his  paternal  heart  was  in¬ 
creased  by  his  knowledge  of  the  great  progress  made 
by  the  Catholic  Church  in  Scotland  in  past  days. 
And,  indeed,  whoever  is  even  slightly  conversant  with 
Church  history  must  have  known  that  the  light  of  the 
Gospel  shone  upon  the  Scots  at  an  early  date  ;  for, 
to  say  nothing  of  what  tradition  has  handed  down  of 
more  ancient  Apostolic  missions,  it  is  recounted  that 
towards  the  end  of  the  fourth  century,  St.  Ninian, 
who,  as  venerable  Bede  attests,  had  been  correctly 
taught  the  faith  and  the  mysteries  of  the  truth  in 
Rome  ;  and  in  the  fifth  century,  St.  Palladius,  a  Dea¬ 
con  of  the  Roman  Church,  having  been  invested  with 
the  sacred  mitre,  preached  the  faith  of  Christ  in  Scot¬ 
land  ;  and  that  St.  Columba,  Abbot,  who  landed  there 
in  the  sixth  century,  built  a  monastery,  from  which 
many  others  sprang.  And  although  from  the  middle 
of  the  eighth  century  to  the  eleventh,  historical  docu¬ 
ments  concerning  the  ecclesiastical  state  of  Scotland 
are  almost  entirely  wanting,  still  it  has  been  handed 
down  that  there  were  many  bishops  in  the  country, 
although  some  of  them  had  no  fixed  Sees.  But  after 
Malcolm  III.  came  into  possession  of  the  sovereign 
power  in  the  year  1057,  through  his  exertions  at  the 
exhortation  of  his  sainted  spouse,  Margaret,  the 
Christian  religion,  which,  either  through  the  inroads 
of  foreign  peoples,  or  through  various  political  vicis¬ 
situdes,  had  suffered  heavy  losses,  began  to  be  re¬ 
stored  and  spread  ;  and  the  still  existing  remains  of 
churches,  monasteries,  and  religious  buildings  bear 
witness  to  the  piety  of  the  ancient  Scots.  But,  to 
come  more  directly  to  our  subject,  it  is  known  that, 
in  the  fifteenth  century,  the  Episcopal  Sees  had  in¬ 
creased  to  the  number  of  thirteen,  to  wit,  St.  An¬ 
drews,  Glasgow,  Dunkeld,  Aberdeen,  Moray,  Bre 


29O  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

chin,  Dumblane,  Ross  and  Caithness,  Whithorn  and 
Lismore,  Sodor  or  the  Isles,  and  Orkney — all  of  which 
were  immediately  subject  to  the  Apostolic  See.  It 
is  also  known — and  the  Scots  are  justly  proud  of  the 
fact — that  the  Roman  Pontiffs,  taking-  the  kingdom  of 
Scotland  under  their  special  protection,  regarded  the 
above-named  churches  with  special  favor ;  hence, 
while  they  themselves  acted  as  Metropolitans  of  Scot¬ 
land,  they  more  than  once  decreed  that  the  liberties 
and  immunities,  granted  in  past  times  by  the  Roman 
Church,  mother  and  teacher  of  all  the  Churches, 
should  be  preserved  intact ;  so  that,  as  was  decreed 
by  Honorius  III.,  of  holy  memory,  the  Scottish 
Church  should  be  like  a  favorite  daughter,  imme¬ 
diately  subject  to  the  Apostolic  See  without  any  in¬ 
termediary.  Thus  Scotland  was  without  a  Metro¬ 
politan  of  its  own  to  the  time  of  Sixtus  IV.,  who,  re- 
.  fleeting  on  the  expense  and  delays  to  which  the  Scots 
were  subjected  in  coming  to  the  Roman  metropolis, 
by  an  Apostolic  letter  of  the  17th  August,  1472,  be¬ 
ginning  Triumpha7is  Pastor  PEtcrnus,  raised  the  See  of 
St.  Andrews  to  be  the  Metropolitan  and  Archiepis- 
copal  See  of  the  whole  kingdom,  the  other  Sees  being 
subjected  to  it  as  suffragans.  In  like  manner  the  See 
of  Glasgow  was  withdrawn  from  the  ecclesiastical 
province  of  St.  Andrews,  by  Innocent  VIII.,  in  1491, 
and  raised  -to  the  dignity  of  a  Metropolitan  See,  with 
some  of  the  above  Sees  as  suffragans. 

The  Scottish  Church  thus  constituted  was  in  a 
flourishing  condition,  when  it  was  reduced  to  utter 
ruin  by  the  outbreak  of  heresy  in  the  sixteenth  cen¬ 
tury.  Yet  never  did  the  anxious  care,  solicitude,  and 
watchfulness  of  the  Supreme  Pontiffs,  our  predeces¬ 
sors,  fail  the  Scots  that  they  might  persevere  strong  in 
their  faith.  For,  moved  with  compassion  for  that 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


291 


people,  and  seeing  the  wide  havoc  wrought  by  the 
storm,  they  labored  strenuously  to  succor  religion, 
now  by  sending  missionaries  of  various  religious 
Orders,  again  by  Apostolic  legations  and  by  every 
kind  of  assistance.  By  their  care,  in  this  citadel  of 
the  Catholic  world,  besides  the  Urban  College,  a  spe¬ 
cial  college  was  opened  for  chosen  youths  of  the  Scot¬ 
tish  nation,  in  which  they  should  be  trained  in  sacred 
knowledge,  and  prepared  for  the  priesthood,  in  order 
to  exercise  the  sacred  ministry  in  their  native  land, 
and  to  bring  spiritual  aid  to  their  countrymen.  And 
as  that  beloved  portion  of  the  Lord’s  flock  was  bereft 
of  its  pastors,  Gregory  XV.,  of  happy  memory,  as 
soon  as  he  had  it  in  his  power,  sent  William,  Bishop 
of  Chalcedon,  with  the  ample  faculties  which  belong 
to  ordinaries,  to  both  England  and  Scotland,  to  as¬ 
sume  the  pastoral  charge  of  those  scattered  sheep  ; 
as  may  be  seen  in  the  Apostolic  letter,  beginning 
Ecclesia  Romana,  dated  23d  March,  1623.  To  restore 
the  orthodox  faith  in  the  same  regions,  and  to  procure 
the  salvation  of  the  English  and  Scots,  Urban  VIII. 
granted  ample  faculties  to  Francis  Barberini,  Cardi¬ 
nal  of  the  Holy  Roman  Church,  as  is  shown  by  his  brief 
Inter  gravissimas,  dated  1 8th  of  May,  1630.  To  the 
same  intent  also  is  another  letter  of  the  same  pontiff, 
beginning  Malta  sunt,  written  to  the  Queen  of  France, 
for  the  purpose  of  recommending  to  her  good  offices 
the  faithful  and  the  afflicted  Church  of  those  countries. 

Again,  in  order  to  provide  in  the  best  manner 
possible  for  the  spiritual  government  of  the  Scots, 
Pope  Innocent  XII.,  in  1694,  deputed  as  his  Vicar- 
Apostolic,  Thomas  Nicholson,  Bishop  of  Perista- 
chium,  committing  to  his  care  all  the  kingdom  and 
the  islands  adjacent.  And  not  long  after,  when  one 
Vicar-Apostolic  was  no  longer  sufficient  for  the  culti- 


292 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  TIIE  THIRTEENTH. 


vation  of  the  whole  of  the  said  vineyard  of  the  Lord, 
Benedict  XIII.  gave  the  aforesaid  bishop  a  companion, 
in  the  year  1727.  Thus  it  came  to  pass  that  the  king¬ 
dom  of  Scotland  was  divided  into  two  Apostolic 
Vicariates,  one  of  which  embraced  the  southern,  the 
other  the  northern  portion.  But  the  division  which 
had  sufficed  for  the  government  of  the  number  of 
Catholics  then  existing  was  no  longer  sufficient,  when 
through  the  Lord’s  blessing  their  numbers  had  in¬ 
creased.  Hence  this  Apostolic  See  perceived  the 
necessity  of  providing  additional  help  for  religion  in 
Scotland,  by  the  institution  of  a  third  Vicariate. 
Wherefore,  Leo  XII.,  of  happy  memory,  by  an  Apos¬ 
tolic  Letter  of  the  13th  of  February,  1827,  beginning 
Quanta  lest  it  ia  affecti  simus,  divided  Scotland  into  three 
districts  or  Apostolic  Vicariates — namely,  the  Eastern, 
Western,  and  Northern.  It  is  known  to  all  what  a 
rich  harvest  the  zeal  of  the  new  bishops  and  the  anx¬ 
ious  care  of  our  Congregation  de  Propaganda  Fide 
have  gathered  for  the  Catholic  Church  in  the  said 
kingdom.  From  all  this  it  is  evident  that  this  Holy 
See,  in  its  solicitude  for  all  the  Churches,  has  used 
every  endeavor  to  restore  the  Scottish  nation  from 
the  sad  calamities  of  by-gone  days. 

But  Pius  IX.,  of  happy  memory,  had  exceedingly 
at  heart  the  restoration  to  its  pristine  beauty  of  the 
illustrious  Scottish  Church.  For,  the  bright  example 
of  his  predecessors  urged  him,  they  having,  as  it 
were,  smoothed  the  way  for  him  to  the  accomplish¬ 
ment  of  this  work.  Considering,  on  the  one  hand,  the 
condition  of  the  Catholic  religion  in  Scotland,  and  the 
daily  increasing  number  of  the  faithful,  of  sacred 
workers,  churches,  missions,  and  religious  houses,  as 
well  as  the  sufficiency  of  temporal  means  ;  and  see¬ 
ing,  on  the  other  hand,  that  the  liberty  granted  by  the 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


293 


British  Government  to  Catholics  had  removed  every 
impediment  that  might  have  opposed  the  restoration 
to  the  Scots  of  the  ordinary  rule  of  bishops  by  which 
the  Catholics  of  other  nations  are  governed,  the  said 
pontiff  concluded  that  the  establishment  of  the  Epis¬ 
copal  hierarchy  in  Scotland  should  not  be  further  de¬ 
layed.  Meanwhile  the  Vicars- Apostolic  themselves, 
and  very  many  of  the  clergy  and  laity,  men  conspic¬ 
uous  by  noble  birth  and  virtue,  besought  him  earnestly 
to  satisfy  their  earnest  wishes  in  this  matter.  This 
humble  request  was  again  laid  before  him  when  a 
chosen  band  from  every  rank  in  the  said  region,  hav¬ 
ing  at  their  head  our  venerable  brother,  John  Strain, 
Bishop  of  Abila,  in  partibus  in  fide  lium,  and  Vicar- 
Apostolic  of  the  Eastern  District,  came  to  this  city  to 
congratulate  him  on  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  his 
Episcopal  consecration.  It  was  then  that  the  said 
Pius  IX.  referred  the  matter,  as  its  importance  de¬ 
manded,  to  the  discussion  of  our  venerable  brethren 
the  Cardinals  of  the  Congregation  de  Propaganda 
Fide,  and  their  opinion  confirmed  him  more  and  more 
in  the  resolution  he  had  formed.  But  while  he  was 
rejoicing  that  he  had  come  to  the  completion  of  a 
work  so  long  and  ardently  wished  for,  he  was  called 
away  to  receive  the  crown  of  justice. 

What,  therefore,  our  predecessor  was  hindered  by 
death  from  bringing  to  a  conclusion,  God,  plentiful  in 
mercy,  and  glorious  in  all  his  works,  has  enabled  us 
to  effect,  so  that  we  might  inaugurate  our  Pontificate 
with  a  happy  omen.  Wherefore,  after  having  ac¬ 
quired  a  full  knowledge  of  the  entire  matter,  we  have 
deemed  that  what  had  been  decreed  by  the  lately 
deceased  Pius  IX.  should  be  promulgated.  There¬ 
fore,  raising  up  our  eyes  to  the  Father  of  Light, 
from  whom  comes  every  good  and  perfect  gift,  we 


294  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

have  invoked  the  aid  of  Divine  grace,  praying  also  for 
the  help  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  conceived  with¬ 
out  stain  ;  of  Blessed  Joseph,  her  Spouse  and  Patron 
of  the  Universal  Church  ;  of  the  blessed  Apostles, 
Peter  and  Paul,  of  Andrew  and  the  other  saints  whom 
the  Scots  venerate  as  patrons,  that  by  their  suffrages 
before  God  they  might  bring  the  said  matter  to  a 
prosperous  issue. 

In  view  of  these  considerations,  by  an  act  of  our 
own  will,  with  certain  knowledge,  and  in  virtue  of  the 
Apostolic  authority  which  we  possess  over  the  whole 
Church,  to  the  greater  glory  of  Almighty  God,  and 
the  exaltation  of  the  Catholic  faith,  we  ordain  and  de¬ 
cree  that  in  the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  the  hierarchy  of 
ordinary  bishops,  who  shall  take  their  titles  from  the 
Sees  which  by  this  our  constitution  we  erect,  shall  be 
revived,  and  shall  constitute  an  ecclesiastical  pro¬ 
vince.  Moreover,  we  ordain  that,  for  the  present, 
six  Sees  shall  be  erected,  and  are  hereby  erected,  to 
wit  :  St.  Andrews,  with  the  addition  of  the  title  of 
Edinburgh,  Glasgow,  Aberdeen,  Dunkeld,  Whithorn 
or  Galloway,  and  Argyll  and  the  Isles. 

Recalling  to  mind  the  illustrious  records  of  the 
Church  of  St.  Andrews,  and  taking  into  account  the 
present  chief  city  of  the  said  kingdom,  and  weighing 
other  considerations,  we  have  resolved  to  call  forth, 
as  it  were,  from  the  grave,  the  said  renowned  See 
and  to  raise  or  restore  it,  with  the  addition  of  the  title 
of  Edinburgh,  to  the  rank  of  the  metropolitan  or  archi- 
episcopal  dignity  which  had  formerly  been  granted  by 
our  predecessor,  Sixtus  IV.,  of  venerable  memory; 
and  we  assign  to  it,  by  virtue  of  our  Apostolic  author¬ 
ity,  four  of  the  above-named  Sees,  namely,  Aberdeen, 
Dunkeld,  Whithorn  or  Galloway,  Argyll  and  the  Isles. 
In  regard  to  the  See  of  Glasgow,  considering  the 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEEN  1  H.  2g? 

antiquity,  importance,  and  nobility  of  that  city,  and 
especially  the  highly  flourishing  state  of  religion  there¬ 
in,  and  the  archiepiscopal  pre-eminence  conferred 
upon  it  by  Innocent  VIII.,  we  have  thought  it  proper 
to  give  to  its  bishop  the  name  and  insignia  of  an  arch¬ 
bishop  ;  in  such  manner,  however,  that  until  it  shall 
have  been  otherwise  ordained  by  us  or  our  successors, 
he  shall  not  receive,  beyond  the  prerogative  of  the 
name  and  honor,  any  right  proper  to  a  true  archbishop 
and  metropolitan.  We  also  ordain  that  the  Arch¬ 
bishop  of  Glasgow,  so  long  as  he  shall  be  without 
suffragans,  shall  be  present  with  the  other  bishops  in 
the  Provincial  Synod  of  Scotland. 

Now,  in  the  aforesaid  Archiepiscopal  or  Metropol¬ 
itan  See  of  St.  Andrews  and  Edinburgh  shall  be  in¬ 
cluded  the  counties  of  Edinburgh,  Linlithgow,  Had¬ 
dington,  Berwick,  Selkirk,  Peebles,  Roxburgh,  and 
the  southern  part  of  Fife,  which  lies  to  the  right  of 
the  river  Eden  ;  also  the  county  of  Stirling,  except 
the  territories  of  Baldernock  and  East  Kilpatrick. 

In  the  Archdiocese  of  Glasgow  shall  be  included  the 
counties  of  Lanark,  Renfrew,  Dumbarton,  the  terri¬ 
tories  of  Baldernock  and  East  Kilpatrick,  situated  in 
the  county  of  Stirling,  the  northern  portion  of  the 
county  of  Ayr,  which  is  separated  from  the  southern 
portion  of  the  same  by  the  Lugton  flowing  into  the 
river  Garnock  ;  also  the  islands  of  Great  and  Little 
Cumbrae. 

In  the  Diocese  of  Aberdeen  shall  be  contained  the 
counties  of  Aberdeen,  Kincardine,  Banff,  Elgin,  or 
Moray,  Nairn.  Ross  (except  Lewis  in  the  Hebrides), 
Cromarty,  Sutherland,  Caithness,  the  Orkney  and 
Shetland  Islands ;  and,  finally,  that  portion  of  the 
county  of  Inverness  which  lies  to  the  north  of  a 
straight  line  drawn  from  the  most  northerly  point  of 


298  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

Loch  Linnhe  to  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  said 
county  of  Inverness,  where  the  counties  of  Aberdeen 
and  Banff  meet. 

In  the  Diocese  of  Dunkeld  shall  be  included  the 
counties  of  Perth,  Forfar,  Clackmannan,  Kinross,  and 
the  northern  portion  of  the  county  of  Fife  lying  to 
the  left  of  the  river  Eden  ;  also  those  portions  of  the 
county  of  Stirling  which  are  disjoined  from  it  and  are 
surrounded  by  the  counties  of  Perth  and  Clackman¬ 
nan. 

The  Diocese  of  Whithorn  or  Galloway  shall  contain 
the  counties  of  Dumfries,  Kirkcudbright,  Wigtown, 
and  that  portion  of  Ayr  which  stretches  southwards 
to  the  left  of  the  Lugton  flowing  into  the  river  Gar- 
nock. 

Finally,  the  Diocese  of  Argyll  and  the  Isles  shall 
embrace  the  county  of  Argyll,  the  islands  of  Bute 
and  Arran,  the  Hebrides,  and  the  southern  portion 
of  the  county  of  Inverness  which  stretches  from  Loch 
Linnhe  to  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  said  county 
according  to  the  line  above  described. 

Thus,  therefore,  in  the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  be¬ 
sides  the  honorary  Archbishopric  of  Glasgow,  there 
shall  be  one  only  ecclesiastical  province,  consisting  of 
one  Archbishop  or  Metropolitan  and  four  suffragan 
bishops. 

We  doubt  not  that  the  new  prelates,  following  in 
the  footsteps  of  their  predecessors,  who,  by  their  vir¬ 
tues,  rendered  the  Church  of  Scotland  illustrious,  will 
use  every  endeavor  to  make  the  name  of  the  Catholic 
religion  in  their  country  shine  with  still  greater 
brightness,  and  to  promote  the  salvation  of  souls  and 
the  increase  of  the  Divine  worship.  We  moreover 
reserve  it  to  ourselves  and  to  our  successors  in  the 
Apostolic  See,  to  divide  the  aforesaid  dioceses  into 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


299 


others,  to  increase  their  number,  to  change  their 
boundaries,  and  freely  execute  whatever  else  may 
seem  to  us  in  the  Lord  most  conducive  to  the  propa¬ 
gation  of  the  orthodox  faith. 

And  as  we  see  clearly  that  it  will  be  of  great  benefit 
to  the  said  churches,  we  will  and  ordain  that  'their 
prelates  shall  never  fail  to  transmit  to  our  Congrega¬ 
tion  de  Propaganda  Fide,  which  has  hitherto  be¬ 
stowed  special  care  upon  the  said  region,  reports 
upon  the  Sees  committed  to  their  care  ;  and  shall  in¬ 
form  us  through  the  said  congregation  of  whatever 
they  may  deem  it  necessary  or  useful  to  decree  in 
fulfilment  of  their  pastoral  duty,  and  for  the  increase 
of  their  churches.  Let  them  remember,  moreover, 
that  they  are  bound  to  send  in  this  report,  as  well  as 
to  visit  the  tombs  of  the  Holy  Apostles  every  four 
years,  as  is  enacted  in  the  constitution  of  Sixtus  V.,  of 
sacred  memory,  dated  December  20th,  1585,  begin¬ 
ning  Romanus  Pontifex.  In  all  other  matters  which 
belong  to  the  pastoral  office,  the  above-named  arch¬ 
bishops  and  bishops  shall  enjoy  all  the  rights  and 
faculties  given  to  the  Catholic  bishops  of  other  nations 
by  the  canons  and  A.postolic  constitutions  ;  and  they 
shall  be  bound  by  the  same  obligations  which,  through 
the  same  common  and  general  discipline  of  the  Catho¬ 
lic  Church,  bind  other  bishops.  Whatever,  therefore, 
may  have  been  in  force  in  the  ancient  Churches  of 
Scotland,  or  in  the  subsequent  missions  by  special 
constitutions  or  privileges  or  particular  customs,  now 
that  the  circumstances  are  changed,  shall  no  longer 
convey  any  right  or  impose  any  obligation.  And,  in 
order  that  no  doubt  may  arise  in  future  on  this  head, 
we,  by  the  plenitude  of  our  Apostolic  authority,  de¬ 
prive  the  said  special  statutes,  ordinances,  privileges, 
and  customs,  at  however  remote  or  immemorial  a 


300 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


time  they  may  have  been  introduced,  and  now  in 
force,  of  all  power  of  inducing  any  obligation  or  con¬ 
veying  any  right. 

Wherefore  it  shall  be  in  the  power  of  the  Scottish 
prelates  to  decree  whatever  is  requisite  for  the  exe¬ 
cution  of  the  common  law  and  whatever  is  competent 
to  the  Episcopal  authority  according  to  the  general 
discipline  of  the  Church.  Let  them  feel  assured  that 
we  shall  willingly  lend  them  the  aid  of  our  Apostolic 
authority  in  whatever  may  seem  conducive  to  the  in¬ 
crease  of  the  glory  of  God’s  name  and  the  welfare  of 
souls.  And  as  an  earnest  of  our  good-will  towards 
the  beloved  daughter  of  the  Holy  See,  the  Church  of 
Scotland,  we  declare  that  these  prelates,  when  they 
shall  have  been  invested  with  the  title  and  rights  of 
ordinary  bishops,  shall  not  be  deprived  of  the  special 
and  more  ample  faculties  which  they  formerly  en¬ 
joyed  as  Vicars  of  the  Holy  See.  For  it  is  not  right 
that  they  should  suffer  any  loss  from  what,  in  compli¬ 
ance  with  the  wishes  of  the  Scottish  Catholics,  has 
been  decreed  by  us  for  the  greater  good  of  religion  in 
their  country.  And  whereas  the  condition  of  Scot¬ 
land  is  such  that  means  are  still  wanting  for  the  sup¬ 
port  of  the  clergy  and  the  various  needs  of  each 
church,  we  have  a  certain  hope  that  our  beloved  sons 
in  Christ,  to  whose  earnest  wish  for  the  restoration  of 
the  Episcopal  hierarchy  we  have  acceded,  will  con¬ 
tinue  to  aid  those  whom  we  place  over  them  with 
alms  and  offerings,  to  provide  for  the  Episcopal  Sees, 
the  splendor  of  the  churches  and  of  the  divine  wor¬ 
ship,  the  support  of  the  clergy  and  the  poor,  and  the 
other  needs  of  the  Church. 

And  now  we  turn  with  most  humble  prayer  to  Him 
in  whom  it  hath  pleased  the  Father  in  the  fulness  of 
time  to  restore  all  things,  beseeching  Him  who  has 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


301 


begun  the  good  work  to  perfect  it,  confirm  it,  and 
strengthen  it,  and  to  give  to  all  those  whose  duty  it 
is  to  execute  these  our  decrees,  the  light  and  strength 
of  heavenly  grace,  so  that  the  Episcopal  hierarchy  re¬ 
stored  by  us  in  the  kingdom  of  Scotland  may  be  for 
the  greater  good  of  the  Catholic  religion.  For  this 
end,  also,  we  invoke,  as  intercessors  with  our  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ,  His  most  blessed  Mother,  the  blessed 
Joseph,  his  reputed  father,  the  blessed  Apostles  Peter 
and  Paul,  as  also  St.  Andrew,  whom  Scotland  vene¬ 
rates  with  special  devotion,  and  the  other  saints, 
especially  the  blessed  Margaret,  Queen  of  Scotland, 
that  they  may  look  with  benign  favor  upon  this 
Church  now  born  again. 

Finally,  we  decree  that  this  our  letter  shall  never 
be  impugned  by  reason  of  omission  or  addition  or  any 
defect  in  expressing  our  intention  or  any  other  defect, 
but  shall  always  be  valid  and  obtain  effect  in  all  things, 
and  shall  be  inviolably  observed  ;  notwithstanding 
Apostolic  edicts  and  general  or  special  sanctions  pub¬ 
lished  in  synodal,  provincial,  and  universal  councils, 
and  the  rights  and  privileges  of  the  ancient  Sees  of 
Scotland,  and  of  the  missions  and  apostolic  vicariates 
afterwards  constituted  therein,  and  of  all  churches  or 
pious  institutes,  and  all  things  to  the  contrary  what¬ 
soever.  We  expressly  abrogate  all  these  things  in  so 
far  as  they  contradict  the  foregoing,  although  for 
their  abrogation  they  would  require  special  mention 
or  any  other  particular  formality.  We  decree,  more¬ 
over,  that  whatever  may  be  done  to  the  contrary, 
knowingly  or  ignorantly,  by  any  person,  in  the  name 
of  any  authority  whatsoever,  shall  be  null  and  void. 
We  will  also  that  even  printed  copies  of  this  letter 
when  subscribed  by  a  public  notary,  and  confirmed 
by  the  seal  of  an  ecclesiastical  dignitary,  shall  have 


302 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


the  same  credit  as  would  be  given  to  the  expression 
of  our  will  by  the  exhibition  of  this  diploma  itself. 

Let  no  man,  therefore,  dare  to  infringe  or  rashly 
gainsay  this  our  decree  of  erection  and  restoration. 
If  any  one  should  presume  to  attempt  this,  let  him 
know  that  he  shall  incur  the  indignation  of  Almighty 
God  and  of  His  blessed  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul. 

Given  at  Rome  at  St.  Peter’s,  in  the  year  of  the 
Lord’s  Incarnation  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
seventy-eight,  the  fourth  of  the  nones  of  March  (4th 
March,  1878),  in  the  first  year  of  our  pontificate. 

F.  Cardinal  Asquini. 

C.  Cardinal  Sacconi,  Pro-Datarius. 

On  the  5th  of  March,  the  parish  priests  of  Rome, 
with  the  preachers  appointed  for  the  coming  Lenten 
sermons  in  the  several  churches  of  the  city,  were,  ac¬ 
cording  to  custom,  admitted  to  an  audience  with  the 
Holy  Father.  They  were  introduced  by  the  Cardi¬ 
nal  Vicar,  Monaco  la  Valetta.  Leo  XIII.  received 
them  in  the  throne-room,  and  addressed  them  in  the 
following  memorable  words  : 

“  It  is  a  most  agreeable  thing  for  us,  My  Lord  Car¬ 
dinal,  to  see  gathered  around  us,  to-day,  this  assembly 
of  the  pastors  of  Rome,  together  with  all  the  preach¬ 
ers  for  the  approaching  season  of  Lent.  Over¬ 
whelmed  as  we  are,  especially  during  these  the  first 
days  of  our  Pontificate,  by  continual  thoughts  and 
cares,  we  have  little  time  to  gather  our  ideas  together, 
so  as  to  say  a  few  words  to  you,  excellent  pastors, 
who  are  called  upon  to  share  the  pastoral  anxieties 
of  the  Bishop  of  Rome,  and  to  you,  also,  who  are 
charged  with  preaching. 

“  Still,  we  have  not  wished  to  allow  the  present 
opportunity  to  escape  without  giving  you  a  few  of 
our  thoughts. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


303 


“  We  will  say  to  you,  in  the  first  place,  then,  that, 
if  all  the  faithful  of  the  world  are  the  objects  of  our 
paternal  solicitude,  this  beloved  flock  of  Rome  in  the 
midst  of  which  we  live,  and  which  is  bound  to  us  by 
so  many  ties,  is,  in  a  measure,  especially  so.  It  is  one 
of  our  most  fervent  prayers  and  the  most  ardent 
desire  of  our  heart,  that  the  people  of  Rome  pre¬ 
serve  the  old  faith  pure  and  entire,  that  their  morals 
may  escape  corruption,  that  we  may  see  their  love 
for  this  Holy  Apostolic  See,  and  their  docile  obedi¬ 
ence  to  the  laws  and  instructions  they  receive  from 
it,  increase  more  and  more.  We  know  too  well  that 
in  all  parts  of  the  world  the  enemies  of  the  Church 
are  trying,  by  every  means,  to  wrest  these  inesti¬ 
mable  treasures  from  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the 
faithful  ;  but  we  also  know  that  they  aim,  in  an  es¬ 
pecial  manner,  at  this  city,  which  is  the  centre  of 
Catholicity,  and  that  every  influence  is  brought  to 
bear  to  lead  it  to  infidelity  and  immorality. 

“  It  is,  therefore,  necessary  that  you,  our  be¬ 
loved  pastors,  be  awake  to  the  exceptional  con¬ 
dition  of  the  times  in  which  we  live,  and  to  the 
most  fearful  dangers  to  which  the  faith  and  morals 
of  the  Roman  people  are  particularly  exposed.  It  is 
necessary  that  your  zeal  increase  and  multiply  in  pro¬ 
portion  as  these  perils  increase,  and  as  the  efforts  of 
the  enemy  are  redoubled.  If  the  ministry  of  pastors 
has  been  always  and  everywhere  laborious  and  diffi¬ 
cult,  it  is  certain  that  in  the  times  in  which  we  live, 
and  within  these  walls,  you  will  have  to  call  forth  all 
your  energies  in  an  especial  manner,  that  you  fail  not 
in  the  high  object  of  your  mission.  You  must  bring 
to  it,  moreover,  and  as  an  indispensable  condition,  a 
spirit  of  full  and  entire  sacrifice,  that  will  always  lead 
you  to  place  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of 


304 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


souls  above  every  consideration  of  convenience  or 
interest.  Rest  assured  that  if  you  are  animated  by 
this  spirit,  you  who  are  the  laborers  of  the  mystic 
vine,  your  apostolic  labors  will  be  crowned  with  price¬ 
less  and  abundant  fruits. 

“  The  Roman  clergy  have  always  given  magnificent 
examples  of  zeal  and  self-denial  that  have  made  them 
the  model  and  admiration  of  others  ;  therefore  do  we 
promise  ourselves  the  most  happy  and  consoling  re¬ 
sults  from  your  labors,  persuaded  that  these  will  be 
all  the  greater  in  proportion  as  your  cares  are  more  as¬ 
siduous,  your  sacrifices  more  generous  and  more  en¬ 
tire,  your  zeal  more  enlightened,  your  conduct  more 
blameless. 

“  It  is  now  a  pleasure  to  us  to  address  you,  heralds 
of  the  Gospel,  who  will  to-morrow  commence  to  sow 
the  good  seed  of  the  Divine  Word  among  the  faithful. 
Remember  that  this  Word,  proclaimed  in  bygone 
times  by  the  apostles,  under  the  inspiration  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  with  which  they  were  filled,  was  strong 
enough  to  root  out  of  the  world  the  bad  weeds  of 
false  doctrines,  to  enlighten  minds,  and  to  rekindle  in 
hearts  a  sincere  love  for  the  good  and  the  beautiful  ; 
it  sufficed  to  convert  the  world  and  to  gain  it  whole 
and  entire  to  Jesus  Christ.  This  Word  can  now  also 
save  the  world  from  the  abyss  to  which  it  is  hasten¬ 
ing,  wash  away  its  stains,  and  again  subject  it  to 
Jesus  Christ. 

“  It  is,  then,  indispensably  necessary  that  sacred 
speakers,  walking  in  the  footsteps  of  the  apostles,  re¬ 
lying  on  divine  virtue  more  than  on  their  own 
strength  and  their  persuasive  eloquence,  preach  to  the 
faithful  Jesus  Christ,  the  mysteries  of  His  life  and 
death,  His  doctrines  and  His  heavenly  counsels,  the 
Church  and  her  sublime  prerogatives,  the  divine  au- 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


305 


thority  of  her  visible  head,  her  greatness  and  her 
beneficent  influence  for  the  true  welfare  of  nations  ; 
they  must  meet  with  simple  and  solid  reasoning  all 
the  most  pernicious  and  most  prevalent  errors  of  our 
times,  by  seeking  to  penetrate  to  the  very  bottom  of 
men’s  hearts,  and  to  inspire  them  with  truth  and  vir¬ 
tue. 

“  But  that  all  may  succeed  according  to  our  pray¬ 
ers  and  desires,  we  invoke  upon  all  pastors  of  souls, 
and  upon  all  heralds  of  the  Gospel,  the  abundance  of 
heavenly  lights  and  the  efficacious  aid  of  divine  grace. 
We  desire  you  to  find  an  earnest  of  these  favors  and  a 
proof  of  our  paternal  good-will  in  the  Apostolic  Bene¬ 
diction  which  from  the  bottom  of  our  heart  we  be¬ 
stow  upon  all  pastors  of  souls,  and  upon  their  flocks, 
upon  Lenten  preachers,  and  upon  their  Apostolic 
labors. 

Denedictio  Dei,  ’  ’  etc. 

These  are  precious  words  and  lessons  of  more  than 
human  wisdom,  the  full  understanding  and  practical 
observance  of  which  would  go  far  to  cure  the  many 
evils  under  which  society  is  groaning  in  our  times. 

More  than  a  month  had  elapsed  since  the  election 
of  Leo  XIII.,  and  the  world  was  still  waiting  with 
anxiety  for  his  first  official  utterance  to  define  his 
course  and  declare  his  principles.  The  world  could 
not  appreciate  the  wisdom  of  this  delay  ;  but  its  anx¬ 
iety  was  relieved  at  length  on  the  28th  of  March, 
when  the  Holy  Father  held  his  first  consistory  in  the 
Vatican,  and  again,  a  little  later,  when  the  first  En¬ 
cyclical  was  published  to  all  the  bishops  of  the  Church 
in  communion  with  the  Holy  See. 

The  consistory  was  unusually  solemn,  as  Leo  XIII. 
on  that  occasion  resumed  all  the  ceremonial  which 
had  been  discontinued  by  Pius  IX.  since  the  invasion 


30 6  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

of  Rome.  Seated  on  his  throne,  vested  in  his  ponti¬ 
fical  insignia,  with  the  golden  mitre  on  his  head,  Leo 
XIII.  delivered  the  following  magnificent  allocution 
to  the  assembled  cardinals  : 

Venerable  Brethren  :  As  soon  as  we  were 
called,  through  your  suffrages,  in  the  past  month,  to 
assume  the  government  of  the  Universal  Church,  and 
to  hold  here  on  earth  the  place  of  the  Prince  of  pas¬ 
tors,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  we  felt  ourselves  moved 
by  the  greatest  apprehension  and  fear,  on  account  of 
the  knowledge  of  our  own  unworthiness,  as  well  as 
the  inadequacy  of  our  strength  to  bear  such  a  burden, 
which  appeared  the  greater  on  account  of  the  splendid 
and  illustrious  fame  of  our  predecessor,  Pius  IX. 
That  great  pastor  of  the  flock  of  Christ,  always  com¬ 
bating  energetically  for  truth  and  justice,  and  sus¬ 
taining  the  great  burden  of  the  administration  of  the 
entire  Church,  not  only  rendered  this  Apostolic  chair 
more  resplendent  by  his  virtues,  but  filled  the  Church 
with  love  and  admiration.  And  in  the  same  manner 
as  he  surpassed  the  whole  series  of  Roman  pontiffs  in 
the  length  of  his  reign,  so,  may  we  say,  he  surpassed 
all  in  the  public  testimonials  of  sympathy  and  venera¬ 
tion  which  he  received.  On  the  other  hand,  our  heart 
was  filled  with  sorrow  at  the  sad  condition  in  which 
we  find  not  only  human  society,  but  also  the  Catholic 
Church,  and  in  an  especial  manner  this  Apostolic  See, 
violently  despoiled  of  its  temporal  dominions,  and  so 
reduced  as  to  be  completely  unable  to  enjoy  its  full, 
free,  and  independent  power. 

And  although  we  felt  ourselves  inclined  to  refuse 
the  great  honor  offered  us,  yet  with  what  heart  could 
we  resist  the  will  of  God,  so  evidently  made  known 
to  us  through  the  harmony  of  }?our  suffrages,  seeking 
only  the  welfare  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  succeed- 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  307 

ing  so  promptly  in  completing  the  election  of  the  new 
pontiff  ?  For  this  reason  we  thought  ourselves  obliged 
to  accept  the  burden  presented  to  us,  in  obedience  to 
the  will  of  God,  in  whom  we  place  all  our  trust,  firmly 
hoping  that  He  who  has  elevated  us  to  so  high  a  po¬ 
sition  will  support  our  weakness. 

Now,  venerable  brethren,  as  this  is  the  first  time 
that  we  address  you,  we  declare  that  nothing  shall 
be  held  more  sacred  by  us,  with  the  aid  of  divine 
grace,  than  the  inviolable  preservation  of  the  Catholic 
faith,  the  defence  of  the  rights  of  the  Church  and  the 
Holy  Apostolic  See,  and  the  promotion  of  the  salva¬ 
tion  of  all  men. 

For  the  fufilment  of  this  part  of  our  ministry,  we 
confide  in  your  counsel  and  wisdom,  which  we  trust 
will  never  be  wanting  to  us,  and  this  we  wish  you  to 
understand,  not  as  a  mere  compliment,  but  as  a  solemn 
declaration  of  our  will.  For  we  bear  in  mind  what  is 
narrated  in  Holy  Writ,  when  Moses,  terrified  at  the 
great  weight  laid  upon  him,  called  together  seventy 
of  the  ancients  of  Israel,  that  they  might  divide  with 
him  the  cares  of  the  government  of  his  people.  Hav¬ 
ing  this  example  before  our  eyes,  now  that  we  are 
called  as  leader  and  governor  of  the  whole  Christian 
world,  we  cannot  do  less  than  ask  help  in  our  fatigues, 
and  comfort  in  our  cares,  from  you  who  hold  in  the 
Church  of  God  the  same  position  as  the  elders  of 
Israel. 

Besides,  we  know  that  the  sacred  Scriptures  say 
that  “there  is  safety  where  there  is  much  counsel 
we  know  that  the  holy  Council  of  Trent  attests  that 
the  sovereign  pontiff  should  find  assistance  in  the  wis¬ 
dom  of  the  cardinals  ;  and  finally  that  St.  Bernard  calls 
the  cardinals  the  assistants  and  counsellors  of  the 
sovereign  pontiff.  We,  who  for  five-and-twenty  years 


308  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

had  the  good  fortune  to  form  a  part  of  the  Sacred 
College,  bring  to  this  throne  not  only  a  heart  full  of 
affection  and  sympathy  for  you,  but  still  more  the 
consolation  of  having,  in  the  exercise  of  our  duties  to 
the  Church,  companions  and  co-operators  in  our  obli¬ 
gations,  and  sharers  in  our  glories  and  honors. 

Moreover,  it  is  with  the  greatest  pleasure  that  we 
communicate  to  you,  venerable  brethren,  the  com¬ 
pletion  of  a  work  which  was  undertaken  by  our  glori¬ 
ous  predecessor,  Pius  IX.,  and  which  had  already  been 
discussed  by  those  among  you  who  form  a  part  of  the 
Sacred  Congregation  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith, 
namely,  the  establishment  of  the  Episcopal  hierarchy 
in  the  illustrious  kingdom  of  Scotland.  We,  by  the 
grace  of  God,  had  the  consolation  of  issuing  the  apos¬ 
tolic  bull  for  this  purpose,  on  the  fourth  day  of  the 
present  month.  We  rejoiced  that  we  were  able  to 
answer  the  fervent  prayers  of  those  beloved  children 
of  Jesus  Christ,  the  clergy  and  faithful  of  Scotland, 
who  have  ever  shown  the  greatest  devotion  towards 
the  Catholic  Church  and  the  chair  of  St.  Peter,  and 
we  most  firmly  hope  that  this  work  of  the  Holy  Apos¬ 
tolic  See  may  be  crowned  with  heavenly  fruits,  and 
that  through  the  mediation  and  prayers  of  the  patron 
saints  of  Scotland,  suscipiant  montcs  pacem  populo,  et 
colles  justitiam  ;  her  mountains  may  receive  peace  and 
her  hills  justice  for  her  people. 

Finally,  venerabk  brethren,  we  doubt  not  that 
you,  united  in  the  same  spirit  with  us,  will  work  un¬ 
ceasingly  for  the  defence  of  the  holy  Apostolic  See 
and  the  increase  of  the  glory  of  God  ;  knowing  that 
our  reward  in  heaven  shall  be  the  same,  if  our  trials 
in  the  interest  of  the  Church  shall  have  been  the  same 
on  earth.  Pray,  therefore,  humbly  with  us  that  God, 
rich  in  mercies,  through  the  powerful  intercession  of 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


309 


His  Immaculate  Mother,  of  St.  Joseph,  Patron  of  the 
Universal  Church,  the  Holy  Apostles  SS.  Peter  and 
Paul,  may  be  propitious,  and  happily  direct  our  minds 
and  actions  through  the  days  of  our  pontificate,  that 
we  may  conduct  the  Bark  of  Peter,  which  has  been 
confided  to  us,  through  the  fury  of  the  winds  and  the 
waves,  to  the  desired  port  of  tranquillity  and  peace. 

His  Eminence  Cardinal  Di  Pietro,  in  the  absence  of 
his  Eminence  Cardinal  Amat,  and  in  the  name  of  the 
Sacred  College  of  Cardinals,  replied  as  follows  : 

“  Your  Holiness,  in  your  great  goodness,  has  ex¬ 
pressed  to  us  in  this  allocution  your  thanks  for  the 
unity  of  our  votes  in  raising  your  sacred  person  to 
that  elevated  position  of  sovereign  pontiff  of  the 
Holy  Roman  Church,  and  you  have  deigned  to  add 
words  of  comfort  for  our  Sacred  College,  from  which 
you  justly  expect  help  in  these  turbulent  times. 

“  Yes,  it  is  indeed  true,  most  Holy  Father,  that  it 
was  our  suffrages  that  elevated  your  worthy  person 
to  a  sublime  dignity  ;  but  making  use  of  the  words  of 
the  holy  Apostle  St.  Peter,  I  will  say,  God  who  knoweth 
the  hearts  gave  testimony,  giving  unto  you  the  Holy  Ghost 
as  well  as  to  us. 

“  It  was  through  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
that  we  have  placed  you  on  ‘the  lofty  tower,’  as  St. 
Bernard  writes  to  his  dear  friend  Eugenius  when 
raised  to  the  pontificate.  In  that  eminent  position  in 
which  you  have  all  things  under  your  eyes  and  sub¬ 
ject  to  you,  you  can  uproot  and  destroy,  scatter  and 
undo,  build  and  plant  anew — a  difficult  task,  forsooth  ! 
But  indeed  that  view  from  above  requires  you  to  be 
always  prepared,  and  to  take  no  repose,  as  there  is  no 
time  for  repose  when  you  have  the  general  direction 
of  the  Church. 

“  A  continual  solicitude  and  vigilance  are  required 


3io 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH, 


of  him  who  holds  this  inheritance,  which,  although 
great  and  magnificent  in  its  external  appearances, 
consists  in  reality  of  the  cross  and  innumerable  cares. 

“We  could  not  possibly  doubt  that  your  Holiness 
would  always  continue  to  have  at  heart,  as  you  have 
just  declared  to  us,  the  dignity  of  our  Sacred  Col¬ 
lege,  and,  in  reply  to  such  courteous  words,  we 
promise  that  you  will  always  find  us  prompt  and  obe¬ 
dient  to  give  you  all  possible  assistance,  so  as  to  ren¬ 
der  less  burdensome  that  great  weight  which,  in  res¬ 
ignation  to  the  Divine  will,  you  have  deigned  to 
bear  ;  though  we  are  aware  that  while  our  promises 
are  a  comfort  to  you,  yet  they  can  take  but  little  from 
the  greatness  of  your  anxiety. 

“  Notwithstanding  the  burden  which  you  have  to 
bear,  turn  your  eyes  to  heaven,  and  confide  in  the 
Divine  promise  that  each  one  shall  receive  a  reward 
according  to  his  labor.  Take  courage,  then,  and  con¬ 
fide  in  God,  and  repeat  to  yourself  those  words  of 
St.  Bernard,  St  labor  terret ,  merces  invitat.  But  be¬ 
sides  the  reward  which  your  Holiness  expects  in 
heaven,  receive  from  my  lips,  in  the  name  of  our 
Sacred  College,  a  wish  that  you  may  enjoy  even  on 
earth  that  reward  which  consists  in  seeing  your  pon¬ 
tificate  always  increase  the  number  of  the  faithful 
children  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  that  they  may 
continue  obedient  and  respectful  towards  the  chair 
of  Peter,  and  bound  to  the  Apostolic  See,  in  the  words 
of  St.  Ambrose,  not  with  the  ties  of  perfidy,  but  with 
the  bonds. of  faith." 

In  the  same  consistory,  Cardinal  Camillo  di  Pietro 
was  named  Camerlengo  of  the  Holy  Roman  Church, 
and  several  vacant  sees  were  provided  with  bishops. 
The  Holy  Father  made  the  customary  profession  of 
faith  and  took  the  oath  to  observe  the  apostolic  con¬ 
stitutions. 


CARDINAL  McCLOSKEY. 


Born  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  March  io,  1810. 
Ordained  January  12,  1834. 

Consecrated  Bishop,  March  10,  1844. 
Transferred  to  diocese  of  New  York,  May  6,  1864. 
Created  Cardinal,  March  15,  1875. 

Died  October  10,  1885. 


Page  3“. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


The  hall  was  then  thrown  open  for  a  ceremony  of 
peculiar  interest  for  the  Catholics  of  the  new  world. 
It  was  the  conferring-  of  the  cardinal’s  hat  on  the 
Archbishop  of  New  York,  John  McCloskey,  who  had 
been  declared  cardinal  by  Pius  IX.,  on  the  15th  of 
March,  1875. 

As  the  cardinal’s  hat  can  only  be  conferred  by  the 
Pope  in  person,  this  final  ceremony  was,  of  course, 
to  be  delayed  until  the  new  cardinal  was  summoned 
to  Rome.  Cardinal  McCloskey  sailed  from  New 
York,  February  9th,  two  days  after  the  death  of 
Pope  Pius,  arriving  in  Rome  two  days  after  the 
election  of  Pope  Leo.  On  proceeding  to  Rome  to 
receive  the  hat  at  the  hands  of  the  Pope,  a  member 
of  the  Sacred  College  wears  the  short  violet  robe 
proper  to  such  occasions,  exchanging  it  for  a  longer 
one  of  the  same  color  when  he  pays  his  formal  visit  to 
the  Pope.  Thereafter,  according  to  the  strict  eti¬ 
quette  of  the  Vatican,  he  should  not  appear  in  public 
till  the  day  appointed  for  the  consistory,  when  he 
proceeds  in  a  carriage  with  all  possible  pomp  to  the 
Vatican,  and  in  the  Sistine  Chapel  awaits  the  assem¬ 
bling  of  the  Sacred  College.  Meanwhile,  the  cardinals 
enter  the  great  hall  of  the  consistory  ;  and  at  a  given 
signal  two  cardinal-deacons,  after  kissing  the  Pope’s 
hand,  proceed  to  the  chapel,  whence  they  conduct  the 
new  cardinal  to  the  presence  of  the  pontiff.  Thrice  the 
cardinal  makes  a  profound  reverence  to  the  Head  of 
the  Church — once  at  the  threshold,  once  in  the  middle 
of  the  hall,  once  at  the  foot  of  the  throne  ;  then  as¬ 
cending  its  steps,  he  kisses  the  feet  of  the  Pope,  who 
also  bestows  upon  him  the  kiss  of  peace.  He  then 
embraces  all  the  other  members  of  the  Sacred  Col- 
lege. 

Now,  while  the  Te  Deum  is  chanted,  the  cardinals 


314  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

proceed,  two  by  two,  to  the  Papal  Chapel,  where  they 
pass  around  the  altar  with  their  new  comrade.  Kneel¬ 
ing  upon  the  altar  steps,  the  new  cardinal  is  approach¬ 
ed  by  the  master  of  ceremonies,  who  covers  his  head 
with  his  capuchon  or  hood  ;  when  the  “  Te  ergo”  is 
reached,  the  new  cardinal  prostrates  himself  on  the 
floor,  and  thus  remains  till  the  end  of  the  canticle,  and 
of  the  prayers  which  are  to  be  recited  by  the  Cardi¬ 
nal-Dean.  He  rises,  and  his  hood  is  thrown  back. 
The  Dean  of  the  Sacred  College,  attended  by  two 
other  cardinals  and  the  Cardinal-Camerlengo,  receives 
from  the  new  cardinal  the  oath  of  office,  by  which  he 
declares  that  he  is  ready  to  shed  his  blood  for  the  Holy 
Roman  Church  and  the  maintenance  of  the  Apostoli¬ 
cal  college  to  which  he  belongs  ;  then  the  whole  com¬ 
pany  return  in  due  order  as  before  to  the  Consistorial 
Hall.  Here  the  new  cardinal  kneels  before  the  Pope  ; 
the  master  of  ceremonies  covers  his  head  with  the 
hood,  on  which  the  Pope  places  the  red  velvet  hat, 
pronouncing  at  the  same  time  the  prescribed  prayers. 
The  Holy  Father  then  withdraws,  and  the  cardinals 
form  a  circle  about  their  new  brother,  who  salutes  and 
thanks  them.  At  the  first  consistory  the  Pope  closes 
the  mouth  of  the  new  cardinal,  which  ceremony — it  is 
merely  a  ceremony,  and  does  not  affect  the  cardinal’s 
status  or  rights— signifies  that  he  is  not  to  speak  with¬ 
out  permission  of  what  he  has  heard  ;  at  the  next  the 
Pope  opens  his  mouth,  gives  him  the  cardinal’s  ring 
and  confers  his  title — that  of  one  of  the  churches  of 
Rome,  a  sort  of  ecclesiastical  fief — upon  him. 

The  cardinal’s  hat  is  of  red  cloth  with  a  very  small 
crown  and  broad  brim.  Two  ties,  each  ending  in 
five  rows  of  red  silk  acorns  or  tassels,  three  in  each 
row,  are  fastened  to  the  crown  and  fall  on  either 
side,  being  long  enough  to  meet  under  the  wearer’s 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  3 1 5 

chin.  Originally,  instead  of  this  fringe  each  tie  had 
but  a  single  tassel,  because  the  hat  was  then  used  on 
all  solemn  occasions.  At  present  the  hat  is  not  worn, 
and  therefore  the  fringing  may  be  more  elaborate. 
Indeed  after  the  hat  has  been  conferred  it  is  not  again 
seen  till  the  cardinal’s  death,  when  it  is  placed  upon  his 
bier,  and,  as  a  rule,  suspended  in  the  church  above  his 
tomb.  The  red  hat  of  the  cardinals  is  of  felt,  of  the 
same  shape  as  those  of  simple  ecclesiastics.  On  ordi¬ 
nary  occasions  they  wear  a  black  hat  with  a  red  rib¬ 
bon,  gold-embroidered.  The  ring  given  to  the  cardi¬ 
nal  to  consecrate  his  marriage  with  the  Church  is  a 
sapphire  set  in  gold. 

Such  was  the  first  consistory  of  the  new  Pope,  and 
the  Catholic  world  rejoiced  to  see  Pius  IX.  live 
again  in  the  noble  and  fearless  words  and  acts  of  his 
successor.  This  joy  on  the  part  of  the  loyal  sons  of 
the  Church  was  enhanced,  whilst  the  hate  and  fear  of 
its  enemies  were  stirred  up  afresh,  by  the  first  Ency¬ 
clical  published  by  Leo  XIII.,  which  is  too  important 
to  be  omitted  or  even  abridged.  We  give  it  entire  : 

TO  THE  VENERABLE  BROTHERS,  ALL  THE  PATRI¬ 
ARCHS,  PRIMATES,  ARCHBISHOPS  AND  BISHOPS, 
HOLDING  GRACE  AND  COMMUNION  WITH  THE 
APOSTOLIC  SEE  : 

POPE  LEO  XIII. 

Verier  able  Brothers  :  Health  and  Apostolic  Benediction. 

As  soon  as,  through  the  inscrutable  counsel  of  God, 
we  were  raised,  though  unworthy,  to  the  summit  of 
the  Apostolic  dignity,  we  immediately  felt  ourselves 
impelled  with  the  desire  and  almost  the  necessity  of 
addressing  you  by  letter,  not  only  to  express  to  you 
our  sentiments  of  sincere  love,  but  also,  by  the  office 


316 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


divinely  entrusted  to  us,  to  strengthen  you,  who  are 
called  to  a  part  of  our  solicitude,  to  sustain  with  us 
the  struggle  of  these  times  for  the  Church  of  God  and 
for  the  salvation  of  souls. 

For  from  the  very  beginning  of  our  pontificate  the 
sad  spectacle  presented  itself  to  us  of  the  evils  with  * 
which  the  human  race  is  everywhere  oppressed  ;  this 
widespread  subversion  of  the  supreme  truths  upon 
which,  as  foundations,  human  society  rests  ;  this 
insubordination  of  minds,  impatient  of  all  legitimate 
authority  ;  this  perpetual  cause  of  discords,  whence 
intestine  struggles,  cruel  and  bloody  wars  spring  ;  the 
contempt  of  the  laws  which  regulate  morals  and 
defend  justice  ;  the  insatiable  cupidity  of  transient 
goods  and  the  utter  forgetfulness  of  eternal  things, 
even  to  that  mad  fury  in  which  many  hesitate  not  to 
lay  violent  hands  upon  themselves  ;  the  thriftless 
administration,  the  squandering  of  the  public  moneys, 
and  the  impudence  of  those  who,  when  most  guilty, 
give  out  that  they  are  the  vindicators  of  country,  of 
liberty,  and  of  every  right  ;  finally,  that  deadly  poison 
which  works  itself  into  the  very  vitals  of  human 
society,  never  allows  it  to  be  quiet,  and  presages  for 
it  new  revolutions  with  calamitous  results. 

We  are  convinced  that  the  cause  of  these  evils 
lies  principally  in  the  rejection  of  the  august  authority 
of  the  Church,  which  presides  over  the  human  race 
in  the  name  of  God,  and  is  the  safeguard  of  all  legiti¬ 
mate  authority.  The  enemies  of  public  order,  know¬ 
ing  this  full  well,  thought  that  nothing  was  more  con¬ 
ducive  to  uproot  the  foundations  of  society  than  to 
attack  the  Church  of  God  pertinaciously,  and  by  foul 
calumnies  bring  her  into  odium  and  disrepute,  as  if 
she  were  the  enemy  of  real  civilization,  and  destroy 
the  supreme  power  of  the  Roman  Pontiff,  the  chain- 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  TIIE  THIRTEENTH. 


pion  of  the  unchangeable  principles  of  eternal  justice. 
Hence  have  come  those  laws  destructive  of  the 
divine  constitution  of  the  Church,  which  we  grieve 
to  see  enacted  in  many  countries  ;  hence  emanated 
.  contempt  for  Episcopal  power,  impediments  to  the 
exercise  of  the  ecclesiastical  ministry,  the  dissolution 
of  the  religious  corporations,  and  the  confiscation  of 
the  goods  with  which  the  ministers  of  the  Church  and 
the  poor  were  supported  ;  hence  public  institutions 
consecrated  to  charity  were  taken  from  the  salutary 
administration  of  the  Church  ;  hence  sprang  that 
license  to  teach  and  print  every  iniquity,  while,  on 
the  other  hand,  the  right  of  the  Church  to  instruct 
and  educate  youth  is  violated  and  trampled  under 
foot. 

This  too  is  the  end  and  object  of  the  usurpation  of 
the  civil  principality  which  Divine  Providence  gave 
to  the  Bishop  of  Rome  many  centuries  ago,  that  he 
might  use  freely  the  power  given  by  Christ  for  the 
salvation  of  souls. 

We  have  called  to  mind  this  sad  accumulation  of 
evils,  venerable  brothers,  not  with  a  view  of  increas¬ 
ing  your  grief,  which  this  most  wretched  condition  of 
things  of  itself  produces  in  you,  but  because  we  know 
that  thus  you  will  clearly  see  how  serious  is  the  situa¬ 
tion  of  affairs  which  calls  for  our  zealous  solicitude, 
and  how  assiduously  we  must  labor  to  defend  and 
vindicate  to  the  best  of  our  power  the  Church  of  God 
and  the  dignity  of  this  Apostolic  See,  charged  with  so 
many  calumnies. 

It  is  evident,  venerable  brothers,  that  human  civil¬ 
ization  lacks  a  solid  foundation,  unless  it  rests  upon 
the  eternal  principles  of  truth  and  the  unchangeable 
laws  of  justice,  and  unless  sincere  love  binds  the  wills 
of  men  together  and  governs  their  mutual  relations. 


3 1 8  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

Now,  who  can  deny  that  it  is  the  Church  that,  by 
preaching  the  gospel  to  the  nations,  brought  the  light 
of  truth  among  barbarous  and  superstitious  people, 
and  moved  them  to  recognize  the  Divine  Author  of 
things  and  to  respect  themselves  ;  that,  by  abolishing 
slavery,  recalled  men  to  the  pristine  dignity  of  their 
noble  nature  ;  by  unfurling  the  banner  of  redemption 
in  every  clime  of  the  earth,  by  introducing  or  pro¬ 
tecting  the  arts,  by  founding  excellent  institutions  of 
charity  which  provide  for  every  misery,  cultivated 
the  human  race  everywhere,  raised  it  from  its  degra¬ 
dation,  and  brought  it  to  a  life  becoming  the  dignity 
and  the  destinies  of  man  ?  And  if  any  one  of  sound 
intelligence  will  compare  this  age  in  which  we  live,  so 
hostile  to  religion  and  the  Church  of  Christ,  with  those 
happy  times  when  the  Church  was  regarded  by  nations 
as  a  mother,  he  will  clearly  perceive  that  this  our  age, 
full  of  disorders  and  revolutions,  is  going  rapidly  to 
ruin  ;  whereas  those  ages  advanced  in  the  excellence 
of  their  institutions,  in  tranquillity  of  life,  in  wealth 
and  prosperity,  in  proportion  as  the  people  were  more 
subject  to  the  authority  and  laws  of  the  Church.  And 
if  the  many  benefits  which  we  have  cited,  effected  by 
the  ministry  and  salutary  assistance  of  the  Church, 
are  the  real  works  and  glories  of  civilization,  the 
Church,  so  far  from  abhorring  and  repudiating  it, 
rather  makes  it  her  glory  to  be  its  nourisher,  teacher, 
and  mother. 

But  that  kind  of  civilization  which  is  opposed  to 
the  holy  doctrines  and  laws  of  the  Church  is  only  a 
shadow  of  civilization,  an  empty  name  without  reality, 
as  appears  from  the  example  of  those  people  upon 
whom  the  light  of  the  Gospel  has  not  shone,  and  in 
whose  life  a  glimmer  of  civilization  is  to  be  seen,  but 
its  real  and  solid  benefits  do  not  exist.  That  cer- 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


319 


tainly  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  the  perfection  of  civ¬ 
ilization  which  contemns  legitimate  authority,  nor  is 
that  to  be  reputed  as  liberty  which  basely  and  mis¬ 
erably  thrives  on  the  unrestrained  propagation  of 
errors,  on  the  free  indulgence  of  every  wicked  de¬ 
sire,  on  the  impunity  of  crimes  and  offences,  on  the 
'oppression  of  good  citizens  of  every  class.  For  since 
such  things  are  false,  wicked,  and  absurd,  they  cer¬ 
tainly  cannot  render  the  human  family  prosperous, 
for  sin  maketh  nations  miserable  (Prov.  14  :  34),  for 
when  the  mind  and  heart  are  corrupt,  they  drag  men 
down  into  every  misfortune,  disturb  all  order,  and 
destroy  the  peace  of  nations. 

Moreover,  considering  what  has  been  done  by  the 
Roman  See,  what  can  be  more  unjust  than  to  deny 
the  eminent  services  rendered  by  the  Bishops  of 
Rome  to  the  cause  of  society  ?  Certainly  our  prede¬ 
cessors,  in  order  to  provide  for  the  good  of  the  peo¬ 
ple,  never  hesitated  to  undertake  struggles  of  every 
kind,  to  perform  gre^it  labors  and  expose  themselves 
to  serious  difficulties  ;  and,  with  their  eyes  fixed  upon 
heaven,  they  neither  quailed  before  the  threats  of  the 
wicked,  nor  suffered  themselves  to  be  led  astray  from 
their  duty  by  flattery  or  promises.  It  was  this  Apos¬ 
tolic  See  that  gathered  up  and  united  the  remnants  of 
ancient  society  ;  it  was  the  torch  to  shed  light  on  the 
civilization  of  Christian  times  ;  it  was  the  anchor  of 
safety  in  those  violent  tempests  by  which  the  human 
race  was  tossed  about ;  it  was  the  sacred  bond  of  con¬ 
cord  which  united  nations  of  diverse  customs  to¬ 
gether  ;  finally,  it  was  the  common  centre  whence  all 
men  derived,  together  with  the  doctrines  of  religion, 
encouragement  and  counsels  to  peace.  It  is  the 
glory  of  the  sovereign  pontiffs  that  they  ever  threw 
themselves  into  the  breach,  that  human  society 


32° 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


might  not  sink  back  into  ancient  superstition  and  bar¬ 
barism. 

Oh,  that  this  salutary  authority  had  never  been 
neglected  or  repudiated  !  Certainly  the  civil  power 
would  never  have  lost  that  august  and  sacred  glory 
which  it  received  from  religion,  and  which  alone  ren¬ 
dered  obedience  noble  and  worthy  of  man  ;  nor  would 
so  many  seditions  and  wars  have  raged,  which  ren¬ 
dered  the  earth  desolate  with  calamities  and  slaughter  ; 
nor  would  once  flourishing  kingdoms,  now  fallen  from 
the  height  of  prosperity,  be  oppressed  with  the  weight 
of  misfortune.  A  signal  proof  of  this  are  the  people 
of  the  East,  who,  having  burst  asunder  the  bonds 
which  joined  them  to  this  Apostolic  See,  have  lost  the 
splendor  of  their  former  greatness,  the  glory  of  the 
sciences  and  arts,  and  the  dignity  of  their  empire. 

But  the  distinguished  benefits,  which  the  illustri¬ 
ous  monuments  of  every  age  declare  to  have  been 
bestowed  by  the  Apostolic  See  upon  every  clime  of 
the  earth,  were  particularly  experienced  by  this  land 
of  Italy,  which,  being  nearer  to  the  source,  received 
more  abundant  blessings.  For  to  the  Roman  pontiffs 
Italy  is  indebted  for  the  glory  and  greatness  in  which 
she  surpassed  other  nations.  Their  paternal  authority 
and  solicitude  often  protected  her  from  the  assaults 
of  her  enemies,  and  brought  her  assistance,  that  the 
Catholic  faith  might  always  be  preserved  entire  in  the 
hearts  of  the  Italians. 

These  services  of  our  predecessors,  to  pass  over 
many  others,  are  recorded  in  the  history  of  St.  Leo 
the  Great,  of  Alexander  III.,  Innocent  III.,  St.  Pius 
V.,  Leo  X.,  and  other  pontiffs,  by  whose  Zealand  pro¬ 
tection  Italv  escaped  from  the  utter  ruin  threatened  by 
the  barbarians,  retained  the  old  faith  incorrupt,  and 
amid  the  darkness  and  degradation  of  an  uncultured 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


321 


age  nourished  and  maintained  the  light  of  science  and 
the  splendor  of  the  arts.  This  fair  city,  the  seat  of 
the  pontiffs,  bears  witness  to  these  benefits,  of  which 
it  received  so  great  a  share,  becoming  not  only  the 
fortified  citadel  of  faith,  but  also  the  asylum  and  home 
of  the  fine  arts  and  of  learning,  which  have  won  for 
her  the  admiration  and  respect  of  the  whole  world. 
And  as  the  greatness  of  these  things  is  consigned 
to  eternal  remembrance  in  history,  it  will  easily  be 
understood  that  nothing  but  base  calumny  and  malice 
could  have  published,  by  word  of  mouth  and  in  print,' 
that  the  Apostolic  See  is  a  hindrance  to  the  civiliza¬ 
tion  and  happiness  of  the  people  of  Italy. 

If,  then,  all  the  hopes  of  Italy  and  of  the  whole 
Avorld  repose  in  that  useful  and  salutary  power,  which 
is  the  authority  of  the  Apostolic  See,  and  in  that  bond 
which  unites  all  the  faithful  with  the  Roman  pontiff, 
we  can  deem  nothing  more  important  than  to  preserve 
the  dignity  of  the  Chair  of  St.  Peter  entire,  and  to 
render  more  intimate  the  union  of  the  members  with 
the  Head,  of  the  children  with  the  Father. 

Wherefore,  in  the  first  place,  that  we  may  assert 
to  the  best  of  our  power  the  rights  and  liberty  of  this 
Holy  See,  we  shall  never  cease  to  contend  for  the 
obedience  due  to  our  authority,  for  the  removal  of  the 
obstacles  which  hinder  the  full  liberty  of  our  min¬ 
istry,  and  for  our  restoration  to  that  condition  in 
which  the  counsels  of  the  Divine  Wisdom  first  placed 
the  Roman  bishops.  We  are  not  moved,  venerable 
brothers,  to  demand  this  restoration  by  ambition  or 
the  desire  of  dominion  ;  but  by  our  office,  and  by  the 
religious  oaths  which  bind  us  ;  and  because  this  prin¬ 
cipality  is  necessary  to  preserve  the  full  liberty  of  the 
spiritual  power,  and  it  is  most  clear  that  in  the  ques¬ 
tion  of  the  temporal  principality  of  the  Apostolic  See, 


322 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


the  cause  of  the  public  good  and  the  safety  of  society 
are  involved.  Hence  we  cannot  omit,  because  of  our 
office,  by  which  we  are  bound  to  defend  the  rights  of 
the  Holy  Church,  to  renew  and  confirm  by  these  our 
letters  all  the  declarations  and  protests  which  our  pre¬ 
decessor  of  holy  memory,  Pius  IX.,  published  and  reit¬ 
erated  against  the  occupation  of  his  civil  principality, 
and  against  the  violation  of  the  rights  of  the  Roman 
Church.  At  the  same  time,  we  turn  our  discourse  to 
the  princes  and  supreme  rulers  of  the  nations,  and  we 
adjure  them  again  and  again,  by  the  august  name  of 
the  Most  High  God,  not  to  reject  the  assistance  of  the 
Church  offered  to  them  in  such  a  critical  time,  but  to 
gather  in  a  friendly  manner  around  this  centre  of  au¬ 
thority  and  safety,  and  be  united  more  inseparably 
with  it  in  the  bonds  of  sincere  love  and  obedience. 
God  grant  that  they  may  recognize  the  truth  of  what 
we  have  said,  and  may  know  that  the  teaching  of 
Christ,  as  St.  Augustine  says,  if  it  be  observed,  will  be 
very  salutary  to  the  Republic  ;  and  that  in  the  preserva¬ 
tion  of  the  Church  and  in  obedience  to  her  their  own 
prosperity  and  peace  are  included.  Let  them  turn 
their  thoughts  and  cares  to  removing  the  evils  which 
afflict  the  Church  and  her  visible  Head,  so  that  the 
people  over  whom  they  preside,  entering  upon  the 
way  of  justice  and  peace,  may  enjoy  a  happy  era  of 
prosperity  and  glory. 

And  finally,  that  the  harmony  between  the  entire 
Catholic  flock  and  the  supreme  pastor  may  be  more 
lasting,  we  appeal  to  you  with  particular  affection, 
venerable  brothers,  and  we  warmly  exhort  you  in 
your  sacerdotal  zeal  and  pastoral  vigilance  to  in¬ 
flame  with  the  love  of  religion  the  faithful  entrusted 
to  you,  that  they  may  cleave  more  closely  to  this 
chair  of  truth  and  justice,  and  receive  all  its  doctrines 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  323 

with  the  full  assent  of  their  mind  and  will ;  rejecting 
all  opinions  which  they  know  to  be  opposed  to  the 
teaching  of  the  Church.  The  Roman  pontiffs,  our 
predecessors,  and  especially  Pius  IX.,  of  holy  mem¬ 
ory,  in  the  (Ecumenical  Council  of  the  Vatican  espe¬ 
cially,  mindful  of  the  words  of  St.  Paul,  Beware ,  lest 
any  man  cheat  you  by  philosophy  and  vain  deceit ,  according 
to  the  tradition  of  men ,  according  to  the  elements  of  the 
world,  and  not  according  to  Christ,  never  neglected, 
when  it  was  necessary,  to  condemn  current  errors  and 
brand  them  with  the  Apostolic  censure.  Following 
in  the  footsteps  of  our  predecessors,  we  confirm  and 
reiterate  all  these  condemnations,  and  at  the  same 
time  we  earnestly  beg  the  Father  of  lights  that  all  the 
faithful,  united  with  us  in  the  same  sentiments,  may 
think  and  speak  in  accord  with  us.  But  it  is  your 
duty,  venerable  brothers,  to  use  sedulous  care  that 
the  seed  of  heavenly  doctrines  be  scattered  widely 
through  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord,  and  that  the  teach¬ 
ings  of  the  Catholic  faith  be  early  instilled  into  the 
minds  of  the  faithful,  strike  deep  root  there,  and  be 
preserved  incorrupt  from  the  contagion  of  error. 
The  more  earnestly  the  enemies  of  religion  try  to  in¬ 
stil  into  the  unwary  and  especially  into  youth  those 
things  which  becloud  the  mind  and  corrupt  morals, 
the  greater  should  be  your  efforts  to  obtain  not  only 
a  solid  method  of  education,  but  also  to  make  the 
teaching  itself  agreeable  to  the  Catholic  faith,  particu¬ 
larly  in  philosophy,  upon  which  the  right  study  of  the 
other  sciences  depends,  and  which,  far  from  destroy¬ 
ing  revelation,  rather  rejoices  to  point  out  the  way  to 
it,  and  defends  it  against  those  who  attack  it,  as  the 
great  Augustine,  the  Angelic  Doctor,  and  other  teach¬ 
ers  of  Christian  wisdom  prove  by  their  example  and 
writings. 


324 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


Moreover,  it  is  necessary  that  the  proper  training 
of  youth  to  insure  the  true  faith  and  good  morals, 
should  begin  with  the  earliest  years  in  the  family  it¬ 
self,  which,  being  miserably  disturbed  in  these  our 
times,  can  be  restored  to  its  dignity  only  by  those 
laws  according  to  which  it  was  instituted  in  the 
Church  by  its  Divine  Author.  He  raised  the  con¬ 
tract  of  marriage,  by  which  He  wished  to  signify  His 
own  union  with  the  Church,  to  the  dignity  of  a  sacra¬ 
ment,  and  thus  not  only  sanctified  that  union,  but  also 
prepared  both  for  parents  and  children  the  most  effi¬ 
cacious  aids,  by  which,  through  the  observance  of 
their  mutual  duties,  they  may  more  easily  obtain  tem¬ 
poral  and  eternal  happiness.  But  when  impious  laws, 
setting  aside  the  sanctity  of  this  great  sacrament,  re¬ 
duced  it  to  the  level  of  civil  contracts,  the  conse¬ 
quence  was  that,  the  dignity  of  Christian  union  being 
violated,  citizens  live  in  legal  concubinage,  instead  of 
legitimate  union,  and  neglect  the  duties  of  mutual 
faith  ;  children  refuse  obedience  to  parents,  the  bonds 
of  domestic  love  are  loosened,  and,  to  the  destruction 
of  public  morals,  foolish  love  is  often  succeeded  by 
pernicious  and  disastrous  separations.  These  wretch¬ 
ed  and  deplorable  facts  cannot,  venerable  brothers, 
but  arouse  your  zeal,  and  move  you  to  admonish  the 
faithful  entrusted  to  your  vigilance,  that  they  may 
observe  the  doctrines  which  concern  Christian  mar¬ 
riage,  and  obey  the  laws  by  which  the  Church  regu¬ 
lates  the  duties  of  parents  and  children. 

It  is  thus  that  you  will  bring  about  a  desirable  re¬ 
form  in  the  morals  and  manner  of  life  of  individual 
men  ;  for  as  from  a  corrupt  root  bad  fruit  cannot  fail 
to  spring,  so  the  poison  which  depraves  the  family 
produces  vice  in  individual  citizens.  On  the  con¬ 
trary,  when  the  family  circle  is  regulated  by  the  rules 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


325 


of  a  Christian  life,  the  individual  members  begin  by 
degrees  to  love  religion  and  piety,  to  abhor  false  and 
pernicious  doctrines,  follow  virtue,  obey  their  elders, 
and  suppress  that  selfish  interest  which  enervates  and 
enfeebles  human  nature.  For  this  purpose  it  will  be 
very  useful  to  promote  those  pious  associations  which 
have  been  established  to  the  great  advance  of  Catholic 
interests  especially  in  this  age. 

Great  indeed  and  superior  to  human  strength  are 
these  things  which  we  hope  and  desire,  venerable 
brothers  ;  but  since  God  has  made  the  people  of  the 
earth  capable  of  being  reclaimed,  since  He  has  found¬ 
ed  His  Church  for  the  salvation  of  nations,  and 
promised  to  be  with  her  unto  the  consummation  of 
the  world,  we  firmly  trust,  with  your  co-operation, 
that  the  human  race,  sensible  of  its  many  calamities, 
will  finally  seek  salvation  and  prosperity  in  submis¬ 
sion  to  the  Church  and  the  infallible  teaching  of  this 
Apostolic  See. 

Meanwhile,  venerable  brothers,  before  we  close, 
we  must  congratulate  you  on  that  admirable  union 
and  harmony  which. unite  you  together  and  join  you 
with  this  Apostolic  See.  We  deem  this  perfect  union 
not  only  an  impregnable  bulwark  against  the  enemy, 
but  also  a  happy  omen  of  better  days  for  the  Church  ; 
and  while  it  brings  great  comfort  to  our  weakness,  it 
also  lifts  up  our  soul,  that  in  the  arduous  office  which 
we  have  accepted  we  may  sustain  every  labor  and 
every  struggle  for  the  Church  of  God. 

Moreover,  these  motives  of  hope  and  joy  which 
we  have  expressed  to  you  cannot  be  separated  from 
the  tokens  of  love  and  obedience  which,  in  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  our  pontificate,  you,  venerable  brothers,  and, 
together  with  you,  many  ecclesiastics  and  laymen, 
have  given  us,  by  letters,  by  offerings,  by  pilgrim- 


326  LIFE  OF  POFE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

ages,  and  by  other  offices  of  piety,  showing  that  the 
love  which  they  had  felt  for  our  worthy  predecessor 
remains  so  firm,  so  lasting,  and  entire,  that  it  wanes 
not  even  towards  the  person  of  so  unequal  a  succes¬ 
sor.  For  these  splendid  testimonies  of  Catholic  piety 
we  humbly  praise  the  Lord  because  He  is  good  and 
merciful,  and  from  the  bottom  of  our  heart  we  pub¬ 
licly  profess  the  sentiments  of  our  gratitude  to  you, 
venerable  brothers,  and  to  all  the  beloved  children 
from  whom  we  received  them,  while  we  cherish  the 
confidence  that  in  these  sad  and  critical  times  your 
zeal  and  affection  and  those  of  the  faithful  will  never 
fail  us.  And  we  doubt  not  that  these  excellent  exam¬ 
ples  of  filial  piety  and  Christian  virtue  will  avail  much, 
and  move  the  most  merciful  God  to  look  more  pro¬ 
pitiously  upon  His  flock,  and  grant  peace  and  victory 
to  the  Church.  But  as  we  believe  He  will  give  this 
peace  and  victory  more  readily  if  the  faithful  pray  for 
it  with  constant  fervor,  we  earnestly  exhort  you,  ven¬ 
erable  brothers,  to  excite  the  zeal  of  the  faithful  to 
ask  for  it  through  the  intercession  of  the  Immaculate 
Queen  of  Heaven,  of  St.  Joseph,  patron  of  the 
Church,  and  of  the  holy  princes  of  the  Apostles, 
Peter  and  Paul,  to  whose  powerful  patronage  we 
suppliantly  commend  our  own  humble  person,  all  the 
orders  of  the  ecclesiastical  hierarchy,  and  the  entire 
flock  of  the  Lord. 

For  the  rest  we  pray  that  these  days,  on  which  we 
celebrate  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ,  maybe  to 
you,  venerable  brothers,  and  to  all  the  faithful,  blessed 
and  full  of  hoty  joy,  while  we  beseech  the  most  mer¬ 
ciful  God,  through  the  blood  of  the  Immaculate 
Lamb,  by  whom  the  handwriting  which  was  against 
us  was  erased,  to  pardon  the  faults  we  have  commit¬ 
ted,  and  remit  the  punishments  we  deserve  for  them. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


3-7 


The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  charity 
of  God,  and  the  communication  of  the  Holy  Spirit  be  with 
you  all,  venerable  brothers  ;  to  all  whom,  as  to  all 
our  beloved  children,  the  clergy  and  faithful  of  your 
churches,  as  a  pledge  of  particular  benevolence  and 
a  token  of  heavenly  protection,  we  most  lovingly  im¬ 
part  the  Apostolic  Benediction. 

Given  at  St.  Peter’s,  Rome,  on  the  solemn  day  of 
Easter,  the  21st  of  April,  in  the  year  1878,  the  first 
year  of  our  pontificate. 

Leo  XIII.,  Pope. 

This  noble  document,  which  is  as  strong  in  matter 
as  it  is  moderate  in  form,  gives  us  the  complement 
to  the  celebrated  Pastoral  Letter  of  the  Cardinal- 
Bishop  of  Perugia  on  the  subject  of  the  Church  and 
civilization,  of  which  mention  was  made  in  its  proper 
place.  The  rights  of  the  Holy  See  to  its  temporal 
power  are  held  up  with  all  the  firmness  of  him 
whose  “  Non  possumus”  will  never  be  forgotten. 
Obedience  to  the  teachings  of  the  sovereign  pontiff  is 
proclaimed  as  the  true  and  only  safeguard  of  civiliza¬ 
tion  ;  and  the  religious  constitution  of  the  Christian 
family  is  pointed  out  as  the  necessary  guardian  of 
public  morals.  Modern  ideas  are  denounced  and 
reprobated  as  a  very  destruction  of  both  rulers  and 
nations.  Would  that  the  rulers  and  nations  now 
tossed  about  in  the  throes  of  never-ending  revolu¬ 
tions,  instead  of  devising  remedies  of  their  own  or 
following  the  baseless  theories  of  demagogues  or 
world-reformers,  which  can  only  lead  them  further 
astray,  would  listen  to  the  divinely  appointed  guide, 
and  return  to  the  truth  which  alone  can  make  them 
'-ee  ! 

Besides  the  Encyclical  which  we  have  just  seen, 


328  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

Leo  XIII.  has  already  published  several  other  re¬ 
markable  documents,  one  of  which  we  will  place  here, 
because  of  its  special  importance.  We  owe  it  to  an 
event  which  caused  great  grief  to  the  pontiff’s  heart, 
closing  prematurely  a  career  of  unusual  brilliancy. 
This  was  the  death  of  Cardinal  Alexander  Franchi, 
who  had  been  selected  by  the  holy  father  as  his 
Secretary  of  State.  His  appointment  dated  from  the 
3d  of  March,  and  on  the  31st  of  July  following  Car¬ 
dinal  Franchi  died  after  a  brief  and  severe  illness. 
Leo  XIII.  then  chose  Cardinal  Lorenzo  Nina  to  the 
vacant  post.  The  appointment  was  accompanied  by 
a  brief  of  the  holy  father  to  the  new  Secretary, 
which  has  been  read  with  admiration  by  friend  and  foe: 

“Our  heart  received  a  severe  blow  and  our  soul 
was  filled  with  the  deepest  sorrow  at  the  sudden 
death  of  Cardinal  Alessandro  Franchi,  our  Secretary 
of  State.  Called,  as  he  was,  to  so  exalted  an  office  by 
the  confidence  he  awakened  within  us  by  his  uncommon 
gifts  of  heart  and  mind  and  the  long  service  he  had 
rendered  to  the  Church,  he  so  fully  came  up  to  all 
our  expectations  in  the  short  time  we  had  him  with 
us  that  his  memory  will  never  fade  from  our  mind 
and  his  name  in  the  future  as  well  as  in  the  past  shall 
be  held  by  us  in  affection  and  benediction. 

“  But,  since  it  has  pleased  God  to  visit  this  trial 
upon  us,  we  bow  with  submissive  soul  to  the  Divine 
counsels,  and  we  now  turn  our  thoughts  to  the  selec¬ 
tion  of  a  successor.  We  have  fixed  our  eyes  on  you, 
Signor  Cardinal,  whose  great  experience  in  the  man¬ 
agement  of  affairs,  whose  firmness  of  purpose,  and 
whose  spirit  of  generous  sacrifice  in  behalf  of  the 
Church  are  so  well  known. 

“  It  seems  proper  to  us,  on  your  entering  upon  the 
duties  of  your  new  career,  to  address  you  this  letter, 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  329 

to  open  our  mind  to  you  on  some  very  important 
points  to  which  you  will  be  called  upon,  in  an  espe¬ 
cial  manner,  to  devote  all  your  care. 

“  Already  in  the  first  days  of  our  pontificate,  from 
the  height  of  the  Apostolic  See,  we  cast  our  eyes  upon 
the  society  of  the  present  day  to  learn  its  condition, 
to  ascertain  its  wants,  and  to  consider  its  remedies. 
And  at  that  time,  in  the  encyclical  letter  written  to  all 
our  venerable  brethren  of  the  episcopate,  we  de¬ 
plored  the  decay  of  truths,  not  only  of  supernatural 
truths  taught  by  faith,  but  also  of  natural  truths, 
whether  practical  or  speculative  ;  also  the  reign  of 
the  most  fatal  errors  and  the  most  grave  danger  that 
threatens  society  from  the  ever-growing  disorders 
into  which  it  is  plunged. 

“We  have  said  that  the  principal  cause  of  so  many 
calamities  was  the  separation  proclaimed,  and  the 
apostacy  of  the  society  of  the  present  day,  from 
Christ  and  his  Church,  which  alone  possesses  the  vir¬ 
tue  necessary  to  remedy  such  evils.  By  the  startling 
light  of  facts,  we  have  showed  that  the  Church 
founded  by  Christ  to  renovate  the  world,  from  her 
very  first  appearance  upon  the  earth  began  to  make 
it  feel  the  great  comfort  of  her  superhuman  virtue, 
and  that  in  the  darkest  and  most  sorrowful  days  she 
was  the  only  beacon  that  showed  the  true  way,  the 
only  refuge  that  promised  tranquillity  and  salvation. 
Hence  it  is  very  easy  to  infer  that  if,  in  those  times, 
the  Church  was  able  to  spread  such  signal  blessings 
throughout  the  earth,  she  can  most  assuredly  still  do 
so  to-day  ;  that  the  Church,  as  every  Catholic  holds 
as  a  matter  of  faith,  ever  animated  by  the  spirit  of 
Jesus  Christ,  who  promised  her  his  infallible  aid,  was 
constituted  the  mistress  of  truth  and  the  guardian  of 
a  holy  and  immaculate  law,  and  as  such  she  still  pos- 


330 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


sesses  all  the  strength  necessary  to  cope  with  thv, 
moral  and  intellectual  corruption  that  poisons  society, 
and  redeem  it  to  salvation. 

“  And  since  most  wily  enemies,  to  make  her  hated 
and  suspected,  circulate  grave  calumnies  against  her, 
we  have,  in  the  first  place,  endeavored  to  dispel  preju¬ 
dices  and  to  confound  accusations,  confident  that 
when  the  people  know  the  Church  as  she  really  is  in 
her  gentleness,  they  will  return  from  all  quarters  to 
her  bosom. 

“  Guided  by  such  intentions  as  these,  we  have 
desired  to  make  our  voice  heard  by  those  who  rule 
the  destinies  of  nations,  earnestly  calling  upon  them 
not  to  refuse,  in  these  times  when  it  is  so  much 
needed,  the  most  solid  aid  that  the  Church  holds  out 
to  them  ;  and  urged  on  by  apostolic  charity,  we  have 
also  turned  to  those  who  are  not  united  to  us  by  the 
bond  of  the  Catholic  religion,  anxious  that  their  sub¬ 
jects  may  enjoy  the  beneficent  influence  of  that  divine 
institution. 

“  You  are  well  aware,  Signor  Cardinal,  that,  in  pur¬ 
suance  of  this  impulse  of  our  heart,  we  wrote  also  to 
the  powerful  emperor  of  the  illustrious  German 
nation,  which,  on  account  of  the  difficult  position  of 
the  Catholics  in  that  country,  called  for  our  special 
solicitude.  This  step  on  our  part,  solely  inspired  by 
the  desire  of  seeing  religious  peace  restored  to  Ger¬ 
many,  was  favorably  received  by  the  august  emperor, 
and  had  the  happy  result  of  bringing  about  friendly 
negotiations,  in  which  it  was  not  our  intention  to  ob¬ 
tain  merely  a  truce,  that  would  leave  the  door  open 
to  new  conflicts,  but  to  bring  about,  by  the  removal  of 
all  obstacles,  a  real,  solid,  and  durable  peace.  The  im¬ 
portance  of  this  object  was  justly  estimated  by  the 
wisdom  of  those  in  whose  hands  the  destinies  of  the 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  331 

empire  are  placed.  We  are  confident  that  they  will 
extend  to  us  a  friendly  hand  to  attain  it.  The 
Church,  without  doubt,  will  be  happy  to  see  peace 
restored  in  that  noble  nation,  but  such  a  result  will 
be  fortunate  also  for  the  empire,  which,  with  Catholic 
consciences  at  rest,  will  find,  as  in  times  past,  its  most 
faithful  and  devoted  subjects  among  the  sons  of  the 
Catholic  Church. 

“  Our  paternal  vigilance  could  not  allow  us  to 
forget  the  East,  where  grave  events  in  progress  are 
preparing  a  better  future  for  the  interests  of  re¬ 
ligion.  Nothing  shall  be  wanting  on  the  part  of  the 
Apostolic  See  to  secure  this,  and  we  have  the  hope 
that  the  illustrious  churches  of  those  regions  will 
finally  arrive  at  the  enjoyment  of  a  fruitful  life,  and 
shine  forth  with  all  their  wonted  splendor. 

“  As  you  will  readily  see,  from  these  brief  hints, 
Signor  Cardinal,  that  since  our  design  is  to  carry 
the  beneficent  action  of  the  Church  and  the  Papacy 
into  the  heart  of  the  society  of  the  present  da)q 
it  is  necessary  that  you  also  bring  to  bear  all  your 
lights  and  all  your  energies  to  this  design  that  God 
has  placed  in  our  heart.  Moreover,  you  must  give 
all  your  attention  to  another  point  of  the  highest 
importance — that  is,  to  the  very  difficult  position 
created  for  the  head  of  the  Church  in  Italy  and  in 
Rome,  since  he  has  been  despoiled  of  his  temporal  do¬ 
minion  which  Providence  conferred  upon  him,  so  as  to 
secure  the  independence  of  the  spiritual  power.  We 
will  not  pause  here  to  reflect  that  the  violation  of  the 
most  sacred  rights  of  the  Apostolic  See  and  of  the 
Roman  pontiff  is  fatal  even  to  the  well-being  and  tran¬ 
quillity  of  the  peoples,  who,  seeing  most  sacred  and 
ancient  rights  violated  with  impunity  in  the  person  of 
the  vicar  of  Jesus  Christ  himself,  find  all  ideas  of  duty 


332 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


and  justice  destroyed  in  themselves,  respect  for  laws 
diminished,  and  the  social  and  civil  laws  of  society 
overthrown. 

“  And  we  desire  to  call  your  attention  to  the  fact 
that  Catholics  in  all  countries  can  never  be  tranquil 
until  their  chief  pontiff,  the  master  of  their  faith  and 
moderator  of  their  consciences,  is  surrounded  by  true 
liberty  and  real  independence.  We  can  not,  how¬ 
ever,  refrain  from  observing  that  this  spiritual  power, 
which,  because  of  its  divine  origin  and  its  super¬ 
human  destiny,  should  exercise  a  beneficial  influence 
in  favor  of  the  human  race  and  enjoy  the  fullest  lib¬ 
erty,  is,  on  the  contrary,  by  the  actual  condition  of 
things,  so  hampered  that  the  government  of  the  uni¬ 
versal  Church  has  become  most  difficult  to  it. 

“  This  is  well  known,  and  is  confirmed  by  daily 
events.  The  solemn  complaints  of  our  predecessor, 
Pius  IX.,  of  holy  memory,  in  his  consistorial  allocu¬ 
tion  of  March  12th,  1877,  may  be  repeated  by  us  with 
the  same  reasons,  and  with  the  addition  of  others  no 
less  grave,  growing  out  of  new  obstacles  placed  in 
the  way  of  the  exercise  of  our  supreme  power.  Most 
assuredly,  not  only  must  we  lament  with  our  illustri¬ 
ous  predecessor  over  the  suppression  of  religious 
orders  that  deprives  the  pontiff  of  a  powerful  aid  in 
the  congregations  in  which  the  most  important  affairs 
of  the  Church  are  discussed,  but  we  have  also  to 
regret  that  divine  worship  has  been  despoiled  of  its 
ministers  by  the  law  regarding  military  service,  which 
compels  all,  without  distinction,  to  do  military  duty  ; 
we  have  to  deplore  that  we  and  our  clergy  are  de¬ 
prived  of  institutions  of  charity  and  benevolence 
erected  in  Rome  either  by  the  Roman  pontiffs  or  by 
the  Catholic  people  who  placed  them  under  the  pro¬ 
tection  of  the  Church  ;  also,  to  the  great  sorrow  of 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


333 


our  heart,  as  father  and  pastor,  we  are, constrained  to 
see,  under  our  very  eyes,  the  progress  of  heresy  in 
the  very  city  of  Rome,  the  centre  of  the  Catholic  re¬ 
ligion,  where,  with  impunity,  heterodox  temples  and 
schools  are  opened  in  large  numbers,  and  to  witness 
the  perversion  that  results  from  it,  especially  among 
a  large  proportion  of  young  people,  to  whom  is 
offered  a  godless  education  ;  and,  as  if  all  this  were  a 
trifling  matter,  they  attempt  even  to  render  the  very 
acts  of  our  spiritual  jurisdiction  fruitless. 

“  It  is  well  known  to  you,  Signor  Cardinal,  how, 
since  the  occupation  of  Rome,  in  order  to  pacify  as 
much  as  possible  the  consciences  of  Catholics  deeply 
interested  in  the  fate  of  their  head,  a  willingness  to 
allow  the  sovereign  pontiff  full  liberty  in  the  nomina¬ 
tion  of  bishops  to  the  different  sees  of  Italy  was  loudly 
and  publicly  proclaimed  ;  but  subsequently,  under  the 
pretext  that  the  act  of  their  canonical  institution  had 
not  been  submitted  to  the  placet  of  the  government, 
the  new  bishops  were  refused  their  revenues,  thus  en¬ 
tailing  a  heavy  expense  upon  the  Apostolic  See,  which 
was  compelled  to  provide  for  their  support,  as  well 
as  a  great  injury  to  the  souls  committed  to  the  care 
of  these  prelates. 

“The  government  has  also  refused  to  recognize 
acts  emanating  from  their  episcopal  jurisdiction,  such 
as  the  appointment  to  parishes  and  other  ecclesiastical 
benefices.  And  when,  to  obviate  these  great  evils, 
the  Apostolic  See  permitted  the  newly-elected  bishops 
of  Italy  to  present  their  bulls  of  appointment  and  in¬ 
stitution,  issued  according  to  the  canons,  the  con¬ 
dition  of  the  Church  did  not,  on  that  account,  become 
less  intolerable.  Notwithstanding  the  presentation, 
the  rulers  continued  to  refuse  their  salaries  and  to 
ignore  the  jurisdiction  of  many  bishops.  Then,  again, 


334 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


those  who  are  allowed  to  exercise  their  functions  see 
their  claims  sent  from  one  bureau  to  another,  and  sub¬ 
jected  to  indefinite  delays  ;  and  men,  respected  for 
their  virtues  and  learning,  deemed  by  the  pontiff 
worthy  of  exercising  the  highest  duties  of  the  ecclesi¬ 
astical  hierarchy,  are  compelled  to  submit  to  all  man¬ 
ner  of  humiliations,  and  to  be  subjected  to  private 
and  minute  inspection,  as  if  they  were  vulgar  or  sus¬ 
pected  persons.  Our  venerable  brother,  chosen  by 
us  to  rule  over  the  Church  of  Perugia  in  our  name, 
though  already  charged  with  the  government  of  an¬ 
other  diocese,  where  he  was  lawfully  recognized,  is 
vainly  waiting  an  answer.  Thus  it  is  that,  with  a 
deplorable  astuteness,  they  take  with  the  left  hand 
from  the  Church  that  which,  for  political  reasons, 
they  pretended  to  give  her  with  the  right. 

“  To  render  the  state  of  things  in  many  dioceses 
of  Italy  more  aggravated,  the  right  of  royal  patron¬ 
age  has  been  put  forward  with  such  exaggerated  pre¬ 
tensions  and  such  odious  measures  that  they  not  only 
judicially  notified  our  venerable  brother,  the  Arch¬ 
bishop  of  Chieti,  that  his  jurisdiction  was  interdicted, 
but  that  his  appointment  was  declared  null  and  his 
episcopal  character  not  to  be  recognized. 

“  It  is  notour  intention  to  stop  to  show  the  flimsy 
foundation  for  any  such  rights,  even  in  the  opinion 
of  many  minds  in  the  opposite  camp.  It  will  be 
enough  for  us  merely  to  state  that  the  Apostolic  See, 
to  which  is  reserved  the  appointment  of  bishops,  has 
not  been  in  the  habit  of  yielding  the  right  of  patron¬ 
age  except  to  such  princes  as  have  deserved  well  of 
the  Church  by  defending  her  privileges,  favoring  her 
extension,  and  increasing  her  patrimony  ;  and  those 
who  combat  it  by  attacking  her  rights  and  usurping 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


335 


her  property  become,  by  the  very  act,  by  virtue  of 
the  canons,  incapable  of  exercising-  it. 

“  The  facts  we  have  here  touched  upon  clearly 
indicate  the  intention  to  continue  in  Italy  a  system  of 
increasing  hostility  towards  the  Church,  and  likewise 
demonstrate  the  sort  of  liberty  reserved  for  her,  and 
the  kind  of  respect  with  which  it  is  proposed  to  sur¬ 
round  the  head  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

“  Under  such  deplorable  circumstances  we  are 
not  unmindful,  Signor  Cardinal,  of  the  sacred  duties 
imposed  upon  us  by  the  apostolic  ministry,  and  with 
our  eyes  fixed  on  heaven,  and  with  our  sold  fortified 
by  the  certain  hope  of  divine  assistance,  we  shall 
study  never  to  fail  in  our  duties.  You,  who,  by 
reason  of  our  confidence  in  you,  are  called  to  share  in 
our  exalted  cares,  will  bring,  like  your  illustrious  pre¬ 
decessor,  to  the  accomplishment  of  our  designs,  the 
concurrence  of  all  your  energies,  and  you  may  rest 
assured  that  our  co-operation  will  never  be  wanting. 

“  In  the  meantime,  as  an  earnest  of  our  special 
affection,  receive  the  apostolic  benediction,  which  we 
most  heartily  bestow  upon  you. 

“  From  the  Vatican,  August  27th,  1878. 

“  LEO  XIII.,  Pope." 

Here  is  the  language  of  truth  and  deep  convic¬ 
tion — language  as  moderate  in  its  tone  as  it  is  power¬ 
ful  in  its  significance.  It  is  a  document  that  will 
stand  in  its  noble  simplicity,  and  the  day  will  come 
when  the  rulers  of  the  world  will  regret  that  they 
neglected  its  wisdom.  It  will  then  be  felt  that  the 
revolt  of  the  temporal  against  the  spiritual,  of  Caesar 
against  Pontiff,  is  a  perversion  of  all  order,  a  loosen¬ 
ing  of  all  the  bonds  that  hold  society,  together,  and 
that  its  consequences  recoil  with  destructive  reaction 


336  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

on  its  authors.  Such  is  the  warning-  given  to  the 
world  by  him  to  whom  God  has  entrusted  the  guid¬ 
ance  of  nations,  and  who  speaks  in  sorrow,  not  in 
anger,  at  the  sad  prospect  before  him  of  evils  that 
threaten  those  whom  he  loves. 

It  is  generally  believed  that  the  documents  emanat¬ 
ing  from  the  Vatican  during  the  present  reign  are  the 
productions  of  the  learned  Pontiff  himself,  whose  emi¬ 
nent  natural  gifts,  cultivated  by  a  long  life  of  study, 
have  given  a  depth  to  his  thought,  a  keenness  to  his 
expression,  and  an  irresistible  power  to  his  reasoning 
which  rank  him  among  the  best  scholars  of  the  age. 
We  have  already  seen  how  earnestly  he  labored  in  his 
diocese  of  Perugia  for  the  elevation  of  ecclesiastical 
studies  to  a  high  standard  of  excellence,  especially  by 
a  return  to  the  doctrine  and  method  of  Aristotle  and 
St.  Thomas.  We  shall  not  be  surprised  to  find  him, 
now  that  he  is  placed  over  the  universal  Church, 
using  his  influence  and  his  power  for  the  same  noble 
end,  and  urging  on  all  those  who  direct  seminaries  and 
universities  the  importance  of  depth  and  thoroughness 
of  philosophical  and  theological  learning,  especially  in 
these  days  when  so  much  false  science  is  arrayed 
against  the  Church.  The  Academy  of  St.  Thomas, 
which  Cardinal  Pecci  had  established  at  Perugia,  has 
been  established  at  Rome  by  Leo  XIII.  This  was,  as 
might  have  been  expected,  one  of  the  new  Pope’s  first 
cares.  Every  opportunity  is  seized  for  promoting  this 
object.  Thus,  when  the  Bishop  of  Lecce,  Mgr.  Zola, 
was  admitted  to  an  audience,  on  the  1 8th  September, 
the  Holy  Father  said  to  him  :  “I  greatly  desire  to 
see  introduced  into  the  seminaries  the  philosophical 
text-books  of  Canon  Sanseverino.  This  great  scholar, 
the  glory  of  the  Neapolitan  clergy,  labored  effi¬ 
caciously  to  bring  philosophy  back  to  the  true  and 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  337 

solid  form  which  is  that  taught  by  St.  Thomas.  We 
rejoice  that  his  works  are  already  used  in  the  semi¬ 
nary  of  Lecce,  and  we  desire  that  in  all  seminaries 
the  method  and  the  doctrine  of  the  Angel  of  the 


CARDINAL  LED  OC  HOW  SKI. 


Schools  should  be  followed.  It  is  to  be  deeply  re¬ 
gretted  that  Sanseverino  died  young,  but  he  has  left 
zealous  disciples  after  him  to  continue  his  work,  such 
as  Frisco  and  Signoriello.” 


338  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

In  all  seminaries  and  schools  of  ecclesiastical  sci¬ 
ences,  immediately  subject  to  the  Holy  See,  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  St.  Thomas  has  been  made  obligatory.  A 
memorable  audience  granted  by  Leo  XIII.  to  the 
professors  of  the  Gregorian  University,  better  known 
as  the  Roman  College,  founded  and  munificently  en¬ 
dowed  by  Gregory  XIII.,  but  at  present  expropriated 
by  the  Italian  government,  is  thus  narrated  by  the 
Civilta  Cattolica  :  “  On  Wednesday,  November  27th, 
His  Holiness  Pope  Leo  XIII.  was  pleased  to  admit  to 
an  audience  at  the  Vatican  the  professors  of  the  Gre¬ 
gorian  University  in  the  three  faculties  of  theology, 
canon  law,  and  philosophy,  whose  classes,  driven 
from  the  Roman  College,  are  continued  in  the  Ger- 
manico-Hungarian  College.  The  Rector  of  the  Col¬ 
lege,  Rev.  A.  Molza,  and  the  Prefect  of  Studies, 
Rev.  Jos.  Kleutgen,  accompanied  the  professors  to 
the  Throne-Room,  where  the  Holy  Father  met  them 
in  company  with  Cardinals  Bartolini,  Ledochowski, 
and  Parocchi.  An  address  was  read  by  the  Very 
Rev.  V.  Cardella,  Provincial  of  Rome,  to  which  the 
Pope  made  the  following  eloquent  reply  in  Latin  : 

“  Most  delightful  to  every  cultivated  man  is  the 
remembrance  of  his  youthful  days  when  his  mind  was 
imbued  with  letters  ;  the  recollection  of  that  first 
scene  of  his  labors,  and  of  those  great  and  good  men 
who  devoted  themselves  with  such  ardor  to  his  im¬ 
provement.  For  this  reason  your  presence  here,  and 
the  words  you  have  spoken,  have  given  us  no  small 
pleasure,  since  you  recalled  the  happy  days  when 
we  were  a  student  of  the  Roman  College.  With  joy 
do  we  remember  the  happy  tranquillity  of  those  days, 
and  the  far-seeing  and  profuse  liberality  of  Leo  XII., 
our  predecessor,  who,  for  the  promotion  of  literature 
and  science,  had  just  then  restored  the  Roman  Col- 


LIFE  OF  FOPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


339 


lege  to  the  fathers  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  ;  the 
throngs  of  students,  their  public  displays  of  learning, 
their  disputations  on  philosophical  and  theological 
theses,  and  the  profound  scholars  who  presided  at 
them,  John  Curi,  John  Perrone,  Francis  Manera, 
Antony  Ferrarini,  Andrew  Carafa,  John  B.  Pianciani, 
and  others,  by  whose  learning  and  kindness  we 
profited  ;  and  we  now  gladly  and  publicly  declare  that 
our  heart  has  been  ever  since  so  closely  bound  to  the 
great  men  whom  we  have  named,  and  to  your  institu¬ 
tion,  that  it  has  never  been,  nor  ever  shall  be,  es¬ 
tranged. 

“  Not  less  is  the  pleasure  you  have  caused  us  by 
the  docility  and  hearty  submission  with  which  you 
have  responded  to  our  desire  in  regard  to  the  method 
of  teaching  the  sacred  sciences  and  that  of  philos¬ 
ophy.  None  of  you  surely  can  fail  to  perceive  how 
important  it  has  now  become  to  imbue  the  minds  of 
youth,  especially  of  those  who  are  destined  to  serve 
the  Church,  with  sound  and  solid  learning,  to  refute 
the  numerous  and  widespread  errors  by  which  not 
only  supernatural  truth  is  attacked,  but  even  natural 
verities  are  torn  from  their  very  foundations  ;  to  ban¬ 
ish  from  the  schools  a  false  science  which  is  hostile  to 
faith  and  to  reason,  and  which  has  usurped  an  almost 
universal  sway  ;  and  to  replace  it  by  a  science  based 
on  sound  principles,  explained  in  a  proper  and  cor¬ 
rect  method  in  conformity  with  faith  and  revelation. 

“Now  this  true  science,  we  think,  is  no  other 
than  that  which,  coming  from  the  early  fathers  of  the 
Church,  and  brought  into  a  complete  system  by  the 
scholastic  doctors,  especially  by  the  leader  of  them 
all,  the  angelic  St.  Thomas  of  Aquin,  has  been  ex¬ 
tolled  by  general  councils  and  by  Roman  pontiffs,  and 
has  been  the  law  of  learning  for  many  centuries  in 


340  life  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

Catholic  universities.  And  as  it  is  our  earnest  desire 
to  restore  this  science  to  its  ancient  glory  for  the  ad¬ 
vancement  and  the  honor  of  studies,  we  could  not  but 
turn  our  eyes  to  the  Gregorian  University,  which, 
though  driven  from  its  own  and  ancient  seat,  much 
to  our  grief,  and  not  crowded  with  the  same  numbers 
of  students  as  of  old,  is  yet  so  renowned  and  so  fre¬ 
quented  that  it  can  contribute  powerfully  to  the  re¬ 
storation  and  advancement  of  studies  which  we  desire. 

“  We  have  no  doubt  that  you  will,  according  to 
your  promise,  devote  all  your  energy  to  this  object. 
This  is  a  duty  imposed  on  you  by  the  obedience 
which,  by  your  rule,  you  vow  to  the  Holy  See  ;  and 
by  the  constitutions  of  your  society,  which  decree 
that  philosophy  and  theology  shall  be  taught  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  doctrine  and  method  of  St.  Thomas.  This 
is  further  required  by  the  very  nature  and  spirit  of 
the  Gregorian  University  ;  for,  as  it  receives  its  stu¬ 
dents  from  every  country,  the  salutary  stream  of  hu¬ 
man  and  divine  wisdom  which  they  will  draw  here  will 
be  easily  and  rapidly  diffused  over  the  whole  world. 

“  With  this  hope  in  our  heart,  we  pray  God,  the 
Father  of  Lights,  in  whom  and  from  whom  is  all  wis¬ 
dom,  that  he  would  enlighten  your  minds  and  give 
you  courage  to  battle  for  the  truth.  As  a  pledge  of 
these  divine  blessings  and  an  earnest  of  our  special 
favor,  we  give  to  you,  to  your  entire  society,  and  to 
all  the  students  in  your  classes,  the  apostolic  benedic¬ 
tion.” 

At  the  close  of  this  discourse  the  Holy  Father  per¬ 
mitted  the  fathers  present  to  kiss  his  foot  and  his 
hand,  and  conversed  with  each  one  of  them  with 
great  kindness,  congratulating  this  one  on  the  learned 
volumes  he  had  published,  encouraging  another  to 
publish  other  works,  and  others  to  persevere  in  the 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


341 


pursuit  of  their  several  studies.  Among  these  fathers 
was  the  venerable  Patrizi,  well  known  for  his  exeget- 
ical  works,  who  had  formerly  been  the  teacher  of 
the  young  Pecci  now  seated  on  the  throne  of  St. 
Peter,  and  whom  His  Holiness  had  always  held  in 
kindly  remembrance.  When  the  Pope  saw  the  old 
man  approaching,  he  arose,  and,  descending  from  his 
throne,  warmly  embraced  him,  remembering  the  many 
happy  days  spent  at  his  feet  in  early  youth.  What  a 
touching  lesson  this  furnishes  to  our  rising  generation  ! 

From  such  beginnings  in  the  matter  of  sound 
Christian  education  we  may  anticipate  other  and  per¬ 
haps  more  weighty  lessons  on  the  same  subject,  of 
wider  bearing  and  more  general  usefulness.  It  can 
not  be  denied  that  the  serious  evils  which  weigh  upon 
the  world  to-day  are  mainly  the  effect  of  bad  educa¬ 
tion — of  education  emancipated  from  the  Church,  and 
controlled  by  men  who  have  neither  faith  in  the  super¬ 
natural  nor  regard  for  the  Author  of  the  natural. 
Our  Pontiff  knows  this  but  too  well,  and  though  he 
may  not  be  sanguine  of  a  speedy  return  to  true  prin¬ 
ciples,  he  feels  it  his  duty  to  raise  his  voice,  in  season 
and  out  of  season,  to  warn  the  nations  of  their  fatal 
mistake.  We  have  already  heard  him  as  Cardinal  of 
Perugia,  and  also  as  Pope  in  his  first  encyclical  ;  we 
shall  hear  him  again  in  his  brief  to  the  Archbishop  of 
Cologne,  and  in  the  encyclical  published  on  the  28th 
of  December,  two  noble  monuments  to  his  wisdom 
and  to  his  zeal  for  the  welfare  of  misguided  men. 
We  will  give  these  documents  entire,  because  every 
sentence  is  full  of  wisdom  and  of  lessons  worthy  of 
eternal  remembrance. 

The  following  is  the  brief  to  the  Archbishop  : 

“  Venerable  Brother,  health  and  apostolic  bene¬ 
diction. 


LIFE  OF  POFE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


“  We  derived  great  consolation  and  pleasure  from 
the  friendly  letter  in  which  you  conveyed  to  us 
your  good  wishes  and  auguries  of  happiness  on  the 
approach  of  the  solemnity  of  our  Lord’s  Nativity  ; 
for  in  it  was  clearly  apparent  your  devotion  to  our 
person,  and  your  inviolable  attachment  to  this  apos¬ 
tolic  see.  And  these  sentiments,  while  they  increase 
our  affection  for  you,  redound  greatly  to  your  honor, 
and  confirm  with  still  stronger  proof  the  perfect  and 
reverent  obedience  paid  to  us  by  the  flock  of  the 
Church  of  Cologne  committed  to  your  care.  We  are 
convinced  that  it  is  through  a  merciful  dispensation 
of  God,  who  rules  and  governs  all  things,  that  similar 
signs  of  affection  and  devotion  have  been  manifested 
towards  us  by  you  and  others  of  our  venerable  broth¬ 
ers,  the  bishops  of  the  Catholic  world  ;  for  in  the 
present  sad  condition  of  affairs,  this  wonderful  unan¬ 
imity  gives  us  the  greatest  joy  and  refreshment,  and 
causes  us  to  say  from  our  heart  with  the  apostle, 

‘  Blessed  be  God,  who  comforts  us  in  all  our  tribula¬ 
tions.’  And,  indeed,  as  soon  as  ever,  on  our  exalta¬ 
tion  to  the  height  of  this  apostolic  throne,  we  turned 
to  address  ourselves  to  all  our  venerable  brethren  in 
the  episcopate,  we  found  in  their  replies  such  an  iden¬ 
tity  of  thought,  of  opinion,  and  almost  of  words,  that 
we  not  only  rejoiced  at  the  marvellous  unity  which 
flourishes  in  the  Church  of  God,  but  had  manifest 
proof  that  the  bishops  of  the  whole  world  are  the  in¬ 
terpreters  of  the  sound  doctrine  which  is  derived  from 
the  apostolic  see,  and  that  they  will  be  our  cheerful 
helpers  in  our  pastoral  care  and  labors. 

“  And  now  this  unity  in  doctrine,  in  counsel,  and 
in  action,  gives  us  ground  for  hope  that  our  de¬ 
sires  will  be  fulfilled,  and  that  from  this  fulfilment 
the  Church  will  derive  the  greatest  advantages  and 


LIFE  OF  FOPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


343 


civil  society  also  will  reap  the  most  abundant  fruits. 
For  you  well  know,  Venerable  Brother,  that  we 
entertain  the  most  intimate  conviction— a  conviction 
which  we  have  often  expressed  and  publicly  declared 
—that  the  cause  of  the  dangers  which  threaten  society 
is  to  be  sought  principally  in  the  fact  that  the  author¬ 
ity  of  the  Church  is  on  all  sides  intercepted,  and  pre¬ 
vented  from  exercising  its  salutary  influence  for  the 
public  good,  and  that  its  liberty  is  so  fettered  that  it 
is  scarcely  allowed  to  provide  for  the  private  necessi¬ 
ties  and  welfare  of  individuals.  And  this  persuasion 
is  generated  in  our  mind  not  only  by  the  knowledge 
which  we  have  of  the  nature  and  powerful  influence 
of  the  Church,  but  also  by  unquestionable  historical 
proofs  from  which  it  is  manifest  that  the  condition  of 
civil  society  is  then  most  prosperous  when  the  Church 
enjoys  full  liberty  of  action,  and  that  whenever  she  is 
shackled  by  restrictions,  those  principles  and  doc¬ 
trines  which  tend  to  the  fall  and  dissolution  of  all 
human  society  begin  to  prevail. 

“  Since,  then,  this  has  been  long  our  settled 
opinion,  it  was  natural  that,  from  the  very  beginning 
of  our  Pontificate,  we  should  strive  to  call  back 
princes  and  people  to  peace  and  friendship  with  the 
Church.  And  to  you,  Venerable  Brother,  it  is  cer¬ 
tainly  well  known  that  we  have  for  some  time  di¬ 
rected  our  efforts  to  the  end  that  the  noble  nation  of 
the  Germans  may  see  the  end  of  its  dissensions  and 
obtain  the  blessings  and  fruits  of  a  lasting  peace  with¬ 
out  injury  to  the  rights  of  the  Church  ;  and  we  think 
that  you  also  know  that,  as  far  as  we  are  concerned, 
we  have  neglected  no  means  of  arriving  at  an  end  so 
noble  and  so  worthy  of  our  solicitude.  But  whether 
that  which  we  have  undertaken  and  are  striving  to 
effect  will  at  last  be  prosperously  accomplished  He 


344 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


knows  from  whom  comes  everything  that  is  good,  and 
who  has  implanted  in  us  so  ardent  a  desire  and  long¬ 
ing  for  peace. 

“  But  whatever  may  be  the  ultimate  issue,  resign¬ 
ing  ourselves  to  the  divine  will,  but  animated  by  the 
same  desire,  we  will  persevere  in  the  arduous  task 
committed  to  us,  so  long  as  life  shall  endure.  For  so 
great  a  duty  can  not  lawfully  be  postponed  or  neg¬ 
lected,  while  by  the  perverted  teaching  of  perfidious 
men,  who  have  thrown  off  all  restraint  of  law,  re¬ 
ligious,  political,  and  social  order,  is  threatened  with 
destruction.  We  should  hold  ourselves  to  be  neg¬ 
lecting  the  duty  of  our  apostolic  ministry  if  we  did 
not  offer  to  human  society,  in  this  most  dangerous 
crisis  of  its  existence,  the  efficacious  remedies  which 
the  Church  provides.  From  this  purpose,  therefore, 
of  saving  all,  and  particularly  your  nation,  Venerable 
Brother,  no  obstacles,  from  whatever  quarter  they 
may  come,  will  turn  us  aside.  For  our  heart  will 
never  be  able  to  rest  as  long  as,  to  the  great  loss  of 
souls,  the  pastors  of  the  Church  are  condemned  or 
exiled,  the  ministry  of  the  priesthood  fettered  in  every 
way,  the  religious  communities  and  pious  congrega¬ 
tions  overthrown  and  scattered,  and  all  education, 
not  even  that  of  the  clergy  being  excepted,  with¬ 
drawn  from  the  authority  and  watchful  care  of  the 
bishops.  And  that  this  work  of  salvation  undertaken 
by  us  may  be  more  perfectly  and  speedily  accom¬ 
plished,  we  call  upon  you,  Venerable  Brother,  and 
the  illustrious  bishops  of  your  country,  to  strive  to¬ 
gether  with  us,  with  united  desires  and  efforts,  that 
the  faithful  committed  to  your  charge  may  show 
themselves  more  and  more  docile  to  the  teachings  of 
the  Church,  and  may  more  exactly  observe  the  pre¬ 
scriptions  of  the  divine  law,  so  that  ‘  the  communica- 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


345 


tion  of  their  faith  may  be  more  manifest  in  the  ac¬ 
knowledgment  of  every  good  work,  which  is  in  them 
in  Christ  Jesus. ’  Thence  will  result  that  moderation 
and  that  obedience  to  laws  (not  repugnant  to  the  faith 
and  duty  of  a  Catholic)  by  which  they  will  show  them¬ 
selves  worthy  to  receive  the  blessings  of  peace  and 
to  enjoy  its  happy  fruits. 

“  But  you  are  perfectly  aware,  Venerable  Bro¬ 
ther,  that  •  our  endeavors  in  so  grave  a  matter  will 
be  altogether  vain,  unless  we  have  the  blessing  and 
help  of  God  ;  for  ‘  unless  he  build  the  house,  they 
labor  in  vain  who  build  it.’ 

“  Wherefore  we  must  pour  forth  before  him  fer¬ 
vent  supplications  and  prayers,  earnestly  beseeching 
him  to  enlighten  his  Vicar  on  earth  and  the  bishops  ; 
and,  since  the  hearts  of  kings  are  in  his  hand,  we 
should  implore  him  to  incline  to  more  gentle  counsels 
the  illustrious  and  powerful  Emperor  of  the  Germans, 
and  the  distinguished  personages  who  are  his  ad¬ 
visers. 

“  Lastly,  since  the  united  prayer  of  many  hearts 
offers  a  kind  of  violence  to  the  divine  goodness,  we 
desire  that  the  bishops  of  Germany  should  by  a  com¬ 
mon  exhortation  excite  the  flocks  over  whom  they 
preside  to  pray  that  the  divine  help  may  be  present 
and  propitious  to  our  efforts. 

“  In  the  meanwhile,  as  an  augury  of  heavenly  gifts, 
and  as  a  pledge  of  our  love,  we  impart  to  you,  Ven¬ 
erable  Brother,  and  also  to  the  other  bishops  of  Ger¬ 
many,  and  to  the  faithful  entrusted  to  your  vigilance, 
with  the  deepest  affection  of  heart  in  the  Lord,  the 
apostolic  benediction. 

“  Given  at  Rome,  at  St.  Peter’s,  the  24th  day  of 
December,  1878,  in  the  first  year  of  our  Pontificate. 

“  LEO  PP.  XIII.” 


346  LIFE  OF  POPE  I.EO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


The  encyclical,  which  we  shall  now  give  in  full, 
has  created  a  ferment  in  all  the  political  circles  of 
Europe.  The  leaders  of  the  anti-Christian  and  anti¬ 
social  parties  feel  the  truth  of  its  utterances,  and  see 
the  end  to  which  their  schemes  must  bring  society. 
The  mask  is  torn  from  their  faces,  and  they  stand  be¬ 
fore  the  world,  not,  as  they  pretended,  its  benefac¬ 
tors,  but,  as  they  are,  its  worst  enemies.  May  the 
lessons  here  so  paternally  and  so  forcibly'  conveyed 
be  of  service  to  prevent  the  sad  issue  of  modern  infi¬ 
delity  ! 


ENCYCLICAL  LETTER  OF  OUR  MOST  HOLY  FATHER, 

LEO  XIII. 

Venerable  Brethren  :  Health  and  apostolic  bene¬ 
diction. 

From  the  commencement  of  our  pontificate,  and 
in  fulfilment  of  the  duty  of  our  office,  we  addressed 
you  in  an  Encyclical  Letter,  to  point  out  that  deadly 
poison  which  is  creeping  into  human  society  and  is 
leading  it  to  ruin.  We  then  also  indicated  the  effi- 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


347 


cacious  remedies  by  means  of  which  society  may  be  re¬ 
stored,  and  escape  the  serious  dangers  that  threaten 
it.  But  the  evils  we  then  deplored  have  increased 
so  rapidly,  that  we  are  compelled  once  more  to  ad¬ 
dress  you,  as  though  the  words  of  the  prophet  were 
ringing  in  our  ear:  “Cry,  cease  not;  lift  up  thy 
voice  like  a  trumpet.” 

You  understand,  venerable  brethren,  that  we 
allude  to  that  sect  of  men  who  call  themselves  by 
various  and  almost  barbarous  titles — Socialists,  Com¬ 
munists,  and  Nihilists — and  who,  scattered  all  over 
the  world,  closely  bound  together  in  an  unholy 
league,  are  no  longer  satisfied  with  lurking  in  secret, 
but  boldly  come  forth  into  the  light  with  the  deter¬ 
mination  to  uproot  the  foundation  of  society.  It  is 
surely  these  men  that  are  signified  by  the  words  of 
Holy  Writ,  “  who  defile  the  flesh,  and  despise  au¬ 
thority  and  blaspheme  majesty.”  They  will  not 
leave  any  thing  intact  that  has  been  wisely  decreed  by 
divine  and  human  laws  for  the  security  and  honor  of 
life.  They  refuse  obedience  to  the  higher  powers, 
who  hold  from  God  the  right  to  command,  and  to 
whom,  according  to  the  apostle,  every  soul  ought  to 
be  subject,  and  they  preach  the  perfect  equality  of 
all  men  in  every  thing  that  concerns  their  rights  and 
duties.  They  dishonor  the  natural  union  of  man  and 
woman,  sacred  even  among  barbarians,  and  endeavor 
to  relax  or  even  to  break  asunder  that  bond  which 
chiefly  cements  domestic  society.  Seduced  by  the 
lust  of  earthly  goods,  which  is  “  the  root  of  all  evil,” 
and  through  the  coveting  of  which  “  many  have 
erred  from  the  faith,”  they  assail  the  right  of  prop¬ 
erty  sanctioned  by  the  natural  law,  and  under  the 
pretence  of  supplying  the  wants  of  men,  and  satisfy¬ 
ing  their  lawful  desires,  they  aim  at  making  a  com- 


348  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

mon  spoil  of  whatever  has  been  legitimately  acquired 
by  inheritance,  by  skill,  industry,  or  economy.  They 
publish  these  monstrous  doctrines  at  their  meetings, 
they  urge  them  in  pamphlets,  and  spread  them  far 
and  wide  by  means  of  the  press.  The  result  of  this 
is  that,  within  a  short  time,  the  majesty  and  authority 
of  kings,  which  should  be  revered  by  all,  has  been 
rendered  so  odious  to  a  seditious  rabble,  that  trai¬ 
tors,  breaking  loose  from  all  restraint,  have  more 
than  once  lifted  their  hands  against  the  rulers  of 
kingdoms. 

These  attempts  of  perfidious  men,  who  threaten 
to  undermine  civil  life  and  fill  all  thinking  minds  with 
alarm,  had  their  origin  in  the  poisoned  doctrines 
broached  long  ago,  like  seeds  of  corruption,  which 
are  now  producing  their  destructive  fruit.  You  are 
aware,  venerable  brethren,  that  the  warfare  raised 
against  the  Church  by  the  reformers  in  the  sixteenth 
century  still  continues  and  tends  to  this  end,  that  by 
the  denial  of  all  revelation  and  the  suppression  of  the 
supernatural  order,  the  reason  of  man  may  run  riot 
in  its  own  conceits.  This  error,  which  unjustly  de¬ 
rives  its  name  from  reason,  flatters  the  pride  of  man, 
loosens  the  reins  to  all  his  passions,  and  thus  it  has 
deceived  many  minds,  whilst  it  has  made  deep  rav¬ 
ages  on  civil  society.  Hence  it  comes  that,  by  a  new 
sort  of  impiety,  unknown  to  the  pagans,  states  con¬ 
stitute  themselves  independently  of  God  or  of  the 
order  which  He  has  established.  Public  authority  is 
declared  to  derive  neither  its  principle  nor  its  power 
from  God,  but  from  the  multitude,  which,  believing 
itself  free  from  all  divine  sanction,  obeys  no  laws  but 
such  as  its  own  caprice  has  dictated.  Supernatural 
truth  being  rejected  as  contrary  to  reason,  the  Cre¬ 
ator  and  Redeemer  of  the  human  race  is  ignored 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  349 

and  banished  from  the  universities,  the  lyceums  and 
schools,  as  also  from  the  whole  economy  of  human 
life.  The  rewards  and  punishments  of  a  future  and 
eternal  life  are  forgotten  in  the  pursuit  of  present 
pleasure.  With  these  doctrines  widely  spread,  and 
this  extreme  license  of  thought  and  action  extended 
everywhere,  it  is  not  surprising  that  men  of  the  low¬ 
est  order,  weary  of  the  poverty  of  their  home  or  of 
their  little  workshop,  should  yearn  to  seize  upon  the 
dwellings  and  possessions  of  the  rich  ;  that  there  re¬ 
mains  neither  peace  nor  tranquillity  in  private  or  pub¬ 
lic  life,  and  that  society  is  brought  to  the  brink  of 
destruction. 

The  supreme  pastors  of  the  Church,  on  whom 
the  duty  rests  of  preserving  the  flock  of  the  Lord 
from  the  snares  of  their  enemies,  have  not  neglected 
to  point  out  the  danger  and  to  provide  for  the  safety 
of  the  faithful.  Indeed,  from  the  moment  that  se¬ 
cret  societies  began  to  be  formed  and  to  cause  the 
evils  of  which  we  have  just  spoken,  the  Roman 
Pontiffs  Clement  XII.  and  Benedict  XIV.  unveiled 
the  iniquitous  designs  of  these  sects,  and  warned  the 
faithful  of  the  whole  world  of  the  serious  evils  which 
would  result  from  them.  When  men  who  gloried 
in  the  name  of  philosophers  had  asserted  for  man  an 
unlimited  independence,  and  had  devised  what  they 
called  a  new  code  of  right  in  opposition  to  the  natu¬ 
ral  and  the  divine  law,  Pope  Pius  VI.  immediately 
raised  his  voice  against  these  false  and  wicked  doc¬ 
trines,  and  with  apostolic  foresight  predicted  the 
calamities  which  would  flow  from  them.  And  when, 
in  spite  of  this  warning,  these  principles  were  still 
maintained  and  even  made  the  basis  of  public  legis¬ 
lation,  Pius  VII.  and  Leo  XII.  solemnly  condemned 
secret  societies  and  again  gave  warning  of  the  perils 


350  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  TIIE  THIRTEENTH. 

that  menaced  the  nations.  Lastly,  every  one  remem¬ 
bers  with  what  authority  and  firmness  our  glorious 
predecessor,  Pius  IX.,  in  his  allocutions  and  ency¬ 
clicals,  combated  the  projects  of  these  associations, 
especially  of  the  Socialists,  who  were  just  then  be¬ 
ginning  to  appear. 

But  to  our  great  grief,  those  who  are  charged 
with  the  care  of  the  public  welfare  have  allowed 
themselves  to  be  blinded  by  the  arts  of  the  wicked  or 
intimidated  by  their  threats,  whilst  they  have  always 
treated  the  Church  with  suspicion  and  injustice,  for¬ 
getting  that  the  efforts  of  the  sects  would  have  been 
powerless  if  the  teaching  of  the  Catholic  Church  and 
the  authority  of  the  Roman  Pontiffs  had  always  been 
duly  respected  by  princes  and  people  ;  for  it  is  “  the 
Church  of  the  living  God,  the  pillar  and  ground  of 
truth,”  which  teaches  the  doctrines  and  principles 
on  which  society  can  rest  secure,  without  fear  of  the 
fatal  effects  of  Socialism.  For  although  the  Socialists 
pervert  the  Gospel  to  deceive  the  unwary,  and  wrest 
it  to  their  own  sense,  yet  in  truth  there  cannot  be 
two  things  more  at  variance  with  one  another  than 
their  depraved  ideas  and  the  beautiful  teachings  of 
Christ.  ‘‘For  what  participation  hath  justice  with 
injustice,  or  what  fellowship  hath  light  with  dark¬ 
ness  ?”  They  never  cease  proclaiming  that  all  men 
are  equal  in  all  things,  and  hence  kings  have  no  right 
to  command  them,  nor  laws  any  power  to  bind  un¬ 
less  made  by  themselves  and  according  to  their  own 
inclinations.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  the  Gospel 
teaches  that  all  men  are  indeed  equal,  inasmuch  as 
all  have  the  same  nature,  all  are  called  to  the  sublime 
dignity  of  children  of  God,  are  destined  to  the  same 
end,  and  will  be  judged  by  the  same  law  which  will 
decree  the  punishment  or  the  reward  deserved  by 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


351 


each  one.  But  an  inequality  of  rights  and  powers 
emanates  from  the  Author  of  nature  Himself,  “of 
whom  all  paternity  is  named  in  heaven  and  on  earth.’’ 
According  to  the  Catholic  doctrine,  princes  and  peo¬ 
ple  are  bound  together  by  a  mutual  relation  of 
rights  and  duties  in  such  a  manner  that  a  check  is 
laid  on  the  excess  of  power,  and  obedience  is  rendered 
easy,  constant,  and  noble.  To  the  subjects  the 
Church  constantly  repeats  the  apostle’s  precept  : 
“  There  is  no  power  but  from  God  ;  and  the  powers 
that  are,  are  ordained  of  God.  Therefore  he  who 
resisteth  the  power,  resisteth  the  ordinance  of  God, 
and  they  that  resist  purchase  to  themselves  damna¬ 
tion.’’  And  again,  she  bids  them  “  be  subject  of 
necessity,  not  only  for  wrath,  but  also  for  conscience 
sake  ;’’  and  to  render  “  to  all  men  their  dues,  to 
whom  tribute,  tribute  ;  to  whom  custom,  custom  ; 
to  whom  fear,  fear;  to  whom  honor,  honor.’’  For 
He  who  has  created  and  who  governs  all  things  has 
wisely  ordained  that  the  lowest  should  depend  on  the 
middle,  and  the  middle  on  the  highest,  that  all  may 
reach  their  end.  And  as  even  in  heaven  He  has  de¬ 
creed  a  distinction  among  the  angels,  so  that  some 
are  inferior  to  others,  and  as  in  the  Church  He  has 
instituted  a  diversity  of  degrees  and  offices,  so  that 
not  all  are  apostles,  not  all  are  doctors,  nor  all  pas¬ 
tors  ;  so  too  He  has  established  in  civil  society  differ¬ 
ent  orders  in  dignity,  in  right  and  power,  so  that  the 
state,  like  the  Church,  might  form  one  body  com¬ 
posed  of  many  members,  some  more  noble  than 
others,  but  all  necessary  to  one  another,  and  all 
laboring  for  the  common  good. 

But  that  princes  may  use  the  power  vested  in 
them  “  unto  edification  and  not  unto  destruction,’’ 
the  Church  appropriately  warns  them  that  they  too 


352 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


are  responsible  to  the  supreme  judge,  and  she  ad¬ 
dresses  to  them  the  words  of  divine  wisdom  :  “-Give 
ear,  ye  that  rule  the  people  and  that  please  your¬ 
selves  in  multitudes  of  nations  ;  for  power  is  given 
you  by  the  Lord,  and  strength  by  the  Most  High, 
who  will  examine  your  works  and  search  out  your 
thoughts  ;  for  a  most  severe  judgment  shall  be  for 
them  that  bear  rule.  For  God  will  not  accept  any 
man’s  person,  neither  will  He  stand  in  awe  of  any 
man’s  greatness  ;  for  He  hath  made  the  little  and  the 
great,  and  He  hath  equally  care  of  all.  But  a  greater 
punishment  is  ready  for  the  more  mighty.”  If,  how¬ 
ever,  at  times  it  happens  that  public  power  is  exer¬ 
cised  by  princes  rashly  and  beyond  bound,  the  Cath¬ 
olic  doctrine  does  not  allow  subjects  to  rebel  against 
a  ruler  by  private  authority,  lest  the  peaceful  order 
be  more  and  more  disturbed  and  society  suffer  greater 
detriment.  And  when  things  have  come  to  such  a 
pass  that  no  other  hope  of  safety  appears,  it  teaches 
that  a  speedy  remedy  is  to  be  sought  from  God  by 
the  merit  of  Christian  forbearance  and  by  fervent 
supplications.  But  if  the  ordinances  of  legislators 
and  princes  sanction  or  command  what  is  contrary  to 
the  divine  or  the  natural  law,  then  the  dignity  of  the 
Christian  name,  our  duty,  and  the  apostolic  precept 
proclaim  that  “  we  must  obey  God  rather  than  men.” 

This  salutary  influence  which  the  Church  exercises 
over  civil  society  for  the  maintenance  of  order  in  it 
and  for  its  preservation,  is  felt  also  in  domestic  so¬ 
ciety,  which  is  the  foundation  of  the  state.  You  know, 
venerable  brethren,  that  the  constitution  of  this  so¬ 
ciety  has,  by  virtue  of  the  natural  law,  its  foundation 
in  the  indissoluble  union  of  the  husband  and  wife,  and 
its  complement  in  the  mutual  rights  and  duties  of 
parents  and  children,  of  masters  and  servants.  You 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


353 


know  also  that  this  society  is  totally  annihilated  by 
the  theories  of  Socialism  ;  for  when  the  firm  bond  is 
broken  which  the  religious  marriage  throws  around 
it,  the  authority  of  the  parent  over  his  offspring  and 
the  duties  of  children  towards  their  parents  must 
necessarily  be  relaxed.  On  the  contrary,  the  mar¬ 
riage,  “  honorable  in  all,”  which  God  Himself  insti¬ 
tuted  from  the  beginning  for  the  propagation  and  per¬ 
petuity  of  the  race,  and  which  He  made  indissoluble, 
has  become  in  the  teaching  of  the  Church  more  firm 
and  more  holy  through  Christ,  who  conferred  on  it 
the  dignity  of  a  sacrament,  an  image  of  His  own 
union  with  the  Church.  Hence,  according  to  the 
apostle,  “  the  husband  is  the  head  of  the  wife,  as 
Christ  is  the  head  of  the  Church  and  as  the  Church 
is  subject  to  Christ,  who  honors  her  with  a  chaste 
and  perpetual  love,  so  wives  should  be  subject  to 
their  husbands,  who  in  return  are  bound  to  love  their 
wives  with  a  faithful  and  constant  affection. 

The  Church  likewise  regulates  the  powers  of  the 
parent  and  master  in  such  a  way  as  to  keep  children 
and  servants  in  their  duty,  and  yet  not  allow  those 
powers  to  be  abused.  For  according  to  Catholic 
teaching,  the  authority  of  parents  and  masters  comes 
to  them  from  the  authority  of  our  heavenly  Father 
and  Master  ;  and  therefore  it  not  only  derives  from 
Him  its  origin  and  its  force,  but  it  should  also  be  im¬ 
bued  with  the  nature  and  character  of  that  divine 
authority.  Hence  the  apostle  exhorts  children  “  to 
obey  their  parents  in  the  Lord,”  and  “  to  honor  their 
father  and  their  mother,  which  precept  is  the  first 
that  hath  a  promise.”  And  to  parents  he  says: 
“  And  you,  fathers,  provoke  not  your  children  to 
anger,  but  bring  them  up  in  the  discipline  and  cor¬ 
rection  of  the  Lord.”  In  like  manner,  the  divine 


354  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

commandment  is  given  by  the  apostle  to  servants  and 
masters  ;  the  former  being  told  “to  be  obedient  to 
their  masters  according  to  the  flesh,  as  to  Christ  ; 
serving  with  a  good  will,  as  to  the  Lord  whilst 
the  latter  are  “  to  forbear  threatenings,  knowing  that 
the  Lord  of  all  is  in  heaven,  and  that  there  is  no  re¬ 
spect  of  persons  with  Him.”  Now,  if  all  these  pre¬ 
cepts  were  observed  by  each  of  those  whom  they 
concern,  according  to  the  disposition  of  God’s  will, 
surely  each  family  would  be  an  image  of  heaven,  and 
the  benefits  arising  from  this  would  not  be  confined 
within  the  family  circle,  but  would  spread  abroad 
over  the  nations  themselves. 

But  Catholic  wisdom,  resting  on  the  principles  of 
natural  and  divine  law,  has  provided  for  public  and 
private  tranquillity  by  those  doctrines  also  which  it 
maintains  in  regard  to  the  ownership  and  distribu¬ 
tion  of  property  held  for  the  necessities  and  conven¬ 
iences  of  life.  The  Socialists  denounce  the  right  of 
property  as  a  human  invention,  repugnant  to  the 
natural  equality  of  men  ;  they  claim  a  community  of 
goods,  and  preach  that  poverty  is  not  to  be  endured 
with  patience,  and  that  the  possessions  and  rights  of  the 
rich  can  be  lawfully  disregarded.  But  the  Church 
more  wisely  recognizes  an  inequality  among  men,  of 
different  degrees  in  strength  of  body  and  of  mind, 
also  in  the  possession  of  goods,  and  ordains  that  the 
right  of  proprietorship  and  of  dominion,  which  comes 
from  nature  itself,  is  to  remain  intact  and  inviolable 
to  each  one.  For  she  knows  that  God,  the  author 
and  asserter  of  all  right,  has  forbidden  theft  and  ra¬ 
pine  in  such  a  manner  that  it  is  not  allowed  even  to 
covet  another’s  goods  ;  and  that  thieves  and  robbers, 
as  well  as  adulterers  and  idolaters,  are  excluded  from 
the  kingdom  of  heaven-  But  the  Church,  like  a  good 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  TIIE  THIRTEENTH. 


355 


mother,  does  not  therefore  neglect  the  care  of  the 
poor  or  the  relief  of  their  wants.  On  the  contrary, 
embracing  them  with  maternal  tenderness,  and  re¬ 
membering  that  they  bear  the  person  of  Christ  Him¬ 
self,  who  esteems  as  done  to  Himself  whatever  is  done 
to  one  of  His  little  ones,  holds  them  in  high  honor, 
comforts  them  in  every  way,  raises  up  for  them,  pro¬ 
tects  and  defends,  asylums  and  hospitals  to  receive 
them,  to  nourish  and  heal  them.  She  urges  the  rich, 
by  the  most  pressing  commandment,  to  distribute 
their  superfluity  among  the  poor,  and  threatens  them 
with  the  judgment  of  God,  by  which  they  shall  be 
doomed  to  eternal  punishment,  if  they  refuse  to  re¬ 
lieve  their  afflicted  brethren.  Finally,  she  consoles 
and  rejoices  the  hearts  of  the  poor,  now  by  present¬ 
ing  to  them  the  example  of  Jesus  Christ,  “  who,  being 
rich,  became  poor  for  our  sakes  and  again  by  re¬ 
calling  His  words  by  which  He  declares  the  poor 
blessed,  and  bids  them  hope  for  the  happiness  of  eter¬ 
nal  life.  Who  does  not  see  that  this  is  the  best  means 
of  appeasing  the  long  quarrel  between  the  poor  and 
the  rich  ?  For  the  very  evidence  of  circumstances 
and  facts  shows  that,  if  this  means  is  rejected,  one 
of  two  alternatives  must  follow  :  either  the  greatest 
portion  of  mankind  will  be  reduced  to  the  ignomini¬ 
ous  condition  of  slaves,  as  they  were  long  ago  among 
the  pagans  ;  or  human  society  will  be  agitated  by 
continual  troubles  and  desolated  by  robbery  and  pil¬ 
lage,  as  we  have  seen  even  in  our  own  days. 

This  being  the  case,  venerable  brethren,  we  on 
whom  the  government  of  the  Church  has  now  de¬ 
volved,  after  having  shown,  from  the  first  days  of  our 
pontificate,  to  princes  and  peoples  tossed  about  by 
the  violence  of  the  tempest,  the  only  harbor  where 
they  can  find  a  safe  refuge,  moved  to-day  by  the 


356  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

extreme  peril  which  threatens,  we  again  raise  our 
apostolic  voice,  and  we  conjure  them,  by  their  desire 
for  their  own  security  and  that  of  the  common  weal, 
that  they  would  listen  to  the  teaching  of  the  Church, 
which  has  done  so  much  for  the  welfare  of  states, 
and  would  remember  that  the  interests  of  the  state 
and  of  religion  are  so  united,  that  every  loss  inflicted 
on  the  latter  diminishes  by  so  much  the  submission  of 
subjects  and  the  majesty  of  the  ruler.  And  since  they 
know  that  for  the  repression  of  Socialism  the  Church 
possesses  a  power  which  is  not  to  be  found  either  in 
human  laws,  or  in  the  restraints  of  magistrates,  or  the 
arms  of  soldiery,  let  them  restore  to  the  Church  that 
freedom  which  will  enable  her  to  wield  her  power 
for  the  common  good  of  human  society. 

And  do  you,  venerable  brethren,  who  know  the 
origin  and  the  nature  of  the  threatening  evils,  labor 
with  all  the  energy  of  your  souls  to  impress  the 
Catholic  doctrine  deeply  on  the  minds  of  all.  Let  it 
be  your  endeavor  that  all  may  accustom  themselves, 
even  from  their  tenderest  years,  to  cherish  a  filial 
love  for  God  and  reverence  for  His  name  ;  to  yield 
obedience  to  the  majesty  of  princes  and  of  the  laws  ; 
to  curb  their  passions,  and  to  observe  the  order 
which  God  has  established  in  civil  and  domestic  so¬ 
ciety.  Do  all  that  you  can  to  prevent  the  children 
of  the  Church  from  uniting  themselves  with  that 
abominable  sect  or  to  favor  it  in  any  manner.  Let 
them,  on  the  contrary,  by  noble  deeds  and  by  their 
honorable  conduct  in  all  things,  show  to  the  world 
how  happy  society  would  be  if  it  were  entirely  com¬ 
posed  of  members  like  them.  Lastly,  as  Socialism 
seeks  its  disciples  chiefly  in  that  class  of  men  who  fol¬ 
low  trades  or  hire  their  labor,  and  whose  weariness 
of  work  more  easily  tempts  them  with  the  desire  of 
wealth  and  the  hope  of  possessing  it,  it  will  be  of 


CHURCH  OF  ST.  MARY  MAJOR.  Pajre  357- 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  I'lIE  THIRTEENTH. 


359 


great  use  to  encourage  those  associations  of  artisans 
and  laborers  which,  founded  under  the  patronage  of 
religion,  teach  their  members  to  be  content  with  their 
lot,  to  endure  their  toils,  and  to  lead  a  calm  and  tran¬ 
quil  life. 

May  our  endeavors  and  yours,  venerable  brethren, 
be  prospered  by  Him  to  whom  we  are  in  duty  bound 
to  refer  the  beginning  and  the  end  of  every  good  un¬ 
dertaking  !  The  hope  of  a  speedy  help  is  raised  within 
us  by  these  very  days  in  which  we  celebrate  the  birth 
of  our  Lord,  who  gives  us  also  the  hope  of  that  salu¬ 
tary  restoration  which  He,  at  His  birth,  brought  to  a 
world  grown  old  in  evils  and  fallen  almost  to  the 
abyss  of  misfortune,  and  promises  us  the  peace  which 
He  then  announced  to  men  by  the  voice  of  His  angels. 
The  arm  of  the  Lord  is  not  shortened  so  as  not  to  be 
able  to  save  us,  nor  is  His  ear  become  heavy  so  as  not 
to  hear.  In  these  sacred  days,  therefore,  we  wish 
you,  venerable  brethren,  and  the  faithful  of  your 
churches  all  happiness  and  joy  ;  and  we  fervently  im¬ 
plore  of  Him  who  gives  all  good  gifts  to  men,  that 
there  may  appear  anew  to  us  the  goodness  and  hu¬ 
manity  of  God  our  Saviour,  who  snatches  us  from  the 
power  of  our  enemy  and  lifts  us  up  to  the  dignity  of 
His  children.  And  that  we  may  more  speedily  and 
more  fully  enjoy  these  blessings,  join  your  prayers  to 
ours  and  add  to  them  the  intercession  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  Mary,  Immaculate  in  her  origin,  of  St.  Joseph, 
her  spouse,  and  of  the  holy  apostles  Peter  and  Paul, 
in  whose  assistance  we  confidently  trust.  Meanwhile, 
as  a  pledge  of  the  divine  gifts,  we  impart  from  the 
depths  of  our  heart  the  apostolic  benediction  to  you, 
venerable  brethren,  to  your  clergy  and  to  all  the  faith¬ 
ful  people. 

Given  at  St.  Peter’s,  Rome,  28th  December,  1878, 
the  first  year  of  our  pontificate.  Leo  PP.  XIII. 


360  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

February  7th  solemn  services  were  performed  by 
the  Holy  Father  in  person,  and  by  others  acting 
under  his  orders,  to  commemorate  the  anniversary  of 
the  death  of  his  predecessor,  Pius  IX.  These  were 
attended  in  the  Sistine  Chapel,  in  the  Basilicas  of  St 
Peter,  St.  John  Lateran,  and  St.  Mary  Major,  by  an 
immense  throng  of  the  faithful,  as  well  as  by  the  Car¬ 
dinals  and  other  dignitaries  both  of  Church  and  State. 
The  devotion  of  the  great  multitude  was  fervent,  and 
the  many  eyes  moist  with  tears  bespoke  the  deep 
love  felt  for  the  gentle  Pius. 

To  crown  the  first  year  of  his  Pontificate  and  to 
implore  the  divine  blessing  on  the  future,  his  Holi¬ 
ness,  in  imitation  of  preceding  popes,  proclaimed  a 
General  Jubilee  on  the  15th  February,  1879. 

In  summing  up  the  works  achieved  or  undertaken 
by  his  Holiness  during  the  first  year  of  his  Pontificate, 
the  Osservatore,  a  leading  Italian  Catholic  paper,  shows 
the  benefits  he  has  brought  to  the  intellectual,  the 
moral,  and  the  social  orders.  In  the  first  he  has  pro¬ 
moted  learning  by  his  encouragement  to  the  French 
Catholic  universities,  and  by  his  patronage  of  the 
works  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas.  In  the  moral  order 
his  Encyclicals  and  Allocutions  speak  for  themselves. 
Besides,  he  has  opened  new  ways  for  Catholic  pro¬ 
gress  in  Bosnia,  Herzegovina,  Wallachia,  and  in  the 
distant  East,  and  has  done  much  to  encourage  the 
Missions  in  Ecuador.  In  the  social  order  he  has 
addressed  himself  to  the  Czar  of  Russia  and  the 
Emperor  of  Germany.  To  Switzerland  he  has  spoken 
words  of  sovereign  goodness  and  kindness,  and  he  has 
encouraged  the  efforts  which  are  being  made  to  intro¬ 
duce  Christian  civilization  into  Africa.  His  letter  to 
the  Cardinal-Secretary  of  State  deplores  the  obstacles 
which,  particularly  in  Italy,  are  put  in  the  way  of  the 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  361 

Pontificate  in  its  desire  to  extend  its  beneficent  influ¬ 
ences  on  society.  Indeed,  so  numerous  are  the  ways 
taken  by  the  Holy  Father  to  benefit  the  world  that 
the  Osservatore  employs  the  words  of  Erasmus  to  Leo 
X. :  “  If  the  dawn  of  your  Pontificate,  Most  Holy 
Father,  is  so  splendid,  what  will  its  meridian  be?” 


CHAPTER  V. 


The  Second  Year  of  Pontificate.  Leo  XIII.  and  the  Catholic  Press — 
Archbishop  Seghers — Leo  XIII.  and  Catholic  Education — New  Cardinals — 
Cardinals  Newman  and  Hergenrother — Settlement  of  the  Troubles  in  the 
Eastern  Church — The  new  Bishops  of  Hartford  and  of  Marquette  and  Sault 
Sainte  Marie — Letter  of  Leo  XIII.  on  Marriage — Bishops  Leray  and  Brondel 
— The  Encyclical  Aeterni  Patris — Letter  of  Archbishops  of  New  York,  Bos¬ 
ton,  and  Philadelphia — Bishops  Junger  and  Elder — Encyclical  on  Marriage 
and  Divorce. 

On  the  20th  February,  1879,  the  first  anniversary 
of  the  exaltation  of  his  Holiness  to  the  Pontifical 
Throne,  large  numbers  of  the  faithful  went  to  St. 
Peter’s  to  hear  Mass,  and  to  offer  up  their  prayers  for 
the  preservation  of  the  life  of  the  Sovereign  Pontiff 
and  the  prosperity  of  the  Holy  See.  Many  distin¬ 
guished  persons  called  at  the  Vatican  to  pay  their 
homage  in  person  to  his  Holiness,  and  the  members 
of  the  Sacred  College  of  Cardinals,  who  were  in 
Rome  and  were  not  prevented  by  sickness  or  infirmity 
from  leaving  their  residences,  went  in  a  body  to  offer 
him  their  homage  and  congratulations.  Cardinal  di 
Pietro  read  an  address  in  the  name  of  his  fellow-Car- 
dinals,  to  which  the  Holy  Father  briefly  answered. 
He  thanked  them  for  their  kind  wishes,  and  while 
admitting  the  dangers  and  difficulties  of  his  position, 
avowed  his  determination,  with  the  help  of  Divine 
Providence,  to  do  his  duty,  under  all  circumstances, 
fearlessly  and  unswervingly. 

On  the  22d  of  February,  the  Feast  of  the  Chair  of 
St.  Peter  at  Antioch,  the  representatives  of  the  Cath¬ 
olic  Press  throughout  the  world  were  admitted  to  an 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  363 

audience  with  the  Sovereign  Pontiff.  Over  400  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  Catholic  Press,  delegates  from  1330  papers 
and  periodicals,  and  representing,  it  is  calculated, 
15,000  writers,  filled  the  great  Consistorial  Saloon  of 
the  Vatican.  At  noon  the  Holy  Father  appeared 
with  a  numerous  suite  of  Cardinals,  Bishops,  and 
Court  dignitaries,  prominent  among  whom  were  their 
Eminences,  Cardinals  di  Pietro,  Franzelin,  Ledochow- 
ski,  and  Manning.  He  was  greeted  with  enthusiastic 
applause;  seated  on  the  throne  presented  to  Pius  IX. 
by  the  city  of  Marseilles,  he  received  their  address, 
which  was  replete  with  expressions  of  homage  and 
implicit  adherence  to  the  Apostolic  Chair. 

His  Holiness  was  visibly  affected,  and  in  a  Latin 
address  assured  the  assembled  multitude  of  the  great 
joy  afforded  him  by  their  expressions  of  allegiance  to 
the  Holy  See,  and  b)r  the  courage  and  zeal  they  dis¬ 
played  in  defending  the  most  sacred  principles  of 
truth  and  right.  Never  did  the  Holy  Father  stand 
in  greater  need  of  the  assistance  of  such  powerful 
adherents  than  at  this  time,  when  a  licentious  press  is 
undermining  the  foundations  of  truth  and  right,  is 
slandering  the  Church,  and  poisoning  the  minds  of 
the  people  with  the  most  pernicious  falsehoods.  He 
was  particularly  earnest  in  recommending  them  to  be 
dignified  and  moderate  in  their  language,  and  above 
all  to  be  united  and  faithful  to  the  teachings  and 
views  of  the  Church. 

“The  necessity,”  he  continued,  “of  this  concord 
appears  the  greater  when  we  consider  that  even 
among  those  who  are  numbered  as  Catholics,  there 
are  some  who  take  it  upon  themselves  to  decide  and 
define  on  their  private  judgment  public  controversies 
of  the  gravest  moment  which  concern  even  the  con¬ 
dition  of  the  Apostolic  See,  and  appear  to  entertain 


364  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

opinions  which  cannot  be  reconciled  with  the  liberty 
and  dignity  of  the  Roman  Pontiff.”  With  the  great¬ 
est  emphasis  the  Holy  Father  then  uttered  these 
words :  “  It  is  therefore  of  the  utmost  importance, 
that  no  occasion  of  error  may  remain,  to  remind  Cath¬ 
olics  that  the  Supreme  power  of  the  Church,  divinely 
conferred  upon  Peter  and  his  Successors  that  it  might 
keep  the  whole  family  of  Christ  in  the  faith,  and  con¬ 
duct  them  to  the  eternal  happiness  of  the  heavenly 
kingdom,  must,  according  to  the  appointment  of 
Christ  Himself,  be  exercised  with  the  fullest  freedom  ; 
and  to  ensure  this  freedom  in  every  part  of  the  world, 
an  all-wise  Providence  ordained  that  after  the  dangers 
and  troubles  of  the  early  period  of  the  Church,  a  civil 
Princedom  should  be  attached  to  the  Roman  Church, 
and  preserved  intact  through  a  long  series  of  ages, 
amidst  the  changes  of  revolution  and  the  wreck  of 
kingdoms.  For  this  weighty  reason,  and  not,  as  We 
have  often  said,  impelled  by  ambition  or  the  lust  of 
power,  the  Roman  Pontiffs  have  ever  felt  it  their 
sacred  duty  to  defend  this  civil  Sovereignty  from 
violation  or  disturbance,  and  to  preserve  intact  the 
sacred  rights  of  the  Church  of  Rome:  and  We  Our¬ 
selves,  following  the  example  of  Our  Predecessors, 
have  not  failed,  nor  will  We  ever  fail,  to  assert  and 
vindicate  those  rights.” 

For  these  reasons  he  urged  the  faithful  defenders 
of  the  Apostolic  See  to  be  unanimous  and  zealous  in 
protecting  this  sacred  power  of  liberty  in  its  spiritual 
government,  and  to  call  history  to  their  aid  in  proving 
that  no  human  dominion  can  show  a  title  more  valid 
or  equally  just.  Furthermore,  he  desired  them  to 
dispel  the  prejudice  that  the  temporal  power  of  the 
Pope  is  incompatible  with  the  welfare  of  the  Italians 
or  the  prosperity  of  nations.  Just  the  contrary  is 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  365 

true  :  for  the  Apostolic  Chair  is  the  protector  of  those 
fundamental  principles  of  order  on  which  alone  peace, 
civilization,  and  political  culture  can  find  a  secure 
resting-place.  The  monuments  of  past  ages  which 
surround  us  on  every  side  proclaim  the  lasting  debt 
which  Italy  owes  to  the  Pope. 

These  memorable  words  of  the  Holy  Father  made  a 
deep  impression  on  the  members  of  the  Catholic  Press, 
and  became  their  rule  of  action  in  all  parts  of  the 
world. 

In  his  dearly  loved  Perugia,  the  anniversary  of  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff’s  coronation  was  fittingly  cele¬ 
brated.  At  a  meeting  of  the  members  of  the  Acad¬ 
emy  Professor  Geremia  Brunelli  delivered  a  discourse, 
in  which  he  recorded  two  incidents  in  the  life  of  the 
Pope  which  possess  a  certain  interest.  The  Pro¬ 
fessor  relates  that  one  day  he  had  been  delayed,  and 
reached  his  class  of  belles-lettres  later  than  usual.  His 
surprise  was  great  when,  on  entering  the  class-room, 
he  beheld  Cardinal  Pecci,  Archbishop  of  Perugia, 
seated  in  the  Professor’s  chair,  and  delivering  a  dis¬ 
course  to  the  pupils  on  Cicero’s  oration  “  Pro  Milone.” 
The  students  were  delighted  beyond  measure,  and 
seemed  to  be  wholly  enchanted  with  the  learned  com¬ 
ments  he  delivered  on  the  language  and  style  of  the 
great  Roman  orator.  The  Professor,  enchanted  in 
his  turn,  sat  down  amongst  the  scholars,  and  begged 
the  Cardinal  to  continue  his  exposition.  But  the 
latter  invited  him  courteousl)7  to  return  to  his  chair, 
and  recommended  the  students  to  profit  by  the  Pro¬ 
fessor’s  instruction.  As  he  was  leaving  the  lecture- 
hall  he  smiled  graciously  on  the  Professor,  which  the 
latter  regarded  as  a  tacit  and  gentle  reproof  of  his 
want  of  punctuality. 

In  the  Church  of  San  Domenico,  at  Perugia,  the 


366  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

gems  and  the  crown  which  adorned  the  image  of  Our 
Lady  were  sacrilegiously  stolen.  Cardinal  Pecci  was 
then  Camerlengo,  and  living  in  Rome.  A  pious  lady 
begged  Pius  IX.  to  bestow  upon  Cardinal  Pecci  a 
sceptre  and  a  crown  for  the  adornment  of  the  de¬ 
spoiled  image  of  Our  Lady.  A  few  days  afterwards 
Pius  IX.,  with  that  gracious  manner  which  all  who 
knew  him  remember  so  well,  said,  in  presence  of 
Cardinal  Pecci  and  a  number  of  Cardinals,  “  I  have 
already  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Cardinal  of  Perugia 
the  sceptre  and  the  crown,  for  the  weight  of  years 
oppresses  me  too  heavily.”  The  Professor  adds, 
“  Give  whatever  meaning  you  please  to  these  words, 
gentlemen  ;  events-  have  well  confirmed  that  Pius  IX. 
was  a  prophet.” 

About  this  time  the  Holy  Father  deigned  to  re¬ 
member  our  distant  shores,  and  appointed  Bishop 
Seghers,  of  Vancouver  Island,  Archbishop  of  Emesa 
and  Coadjutor  to  the  venerable  Archbishop  of  Oregon 
City. 

Most  Rev.  Charles  John  Seghers,  D.D.,  was  born 
in  Ghent,  Belgium,  December  29th,  1839.  His  theo¬ 
logical  studies  were  pursued  in  the  Seminary  of 
Ghent,  whence  he  proceeded  to  the  American  Col¬ 
lege,  Louvain,  where  he  completed  his  studies,  after 
which  he  was  ordained  priest  at  Malines,  on  the  eve 
of  the  Feast  of  Trinity  Sunday,  1863.  Filled  with 
ardent  zeal  for  missionary  life,  he  at  once  made  pre¬ 
parations  to  seek  in  some  foreign  clime  a  field  for  his 
holy  calling;  accordingly  he  arrived  at  Victoria,  Van¬ 
couver  Island,  on  the  17th  of  the  following  Novem¬ 
ber.  Father  Seghers  remained  on  missionary  duty  in 
the  Diocese  of  Vancouver  Island  until  the  Vatican 
Council  was  called,  and  at  the  invitation  of  Bishop 
Demers  he  accompanied  that  Prelate  to  Rome,  where 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  367 

Pius  IX.  bestowed  a  special  blessing  on  the  devoted 
young  priest  who  was  threatened  with  that  fell  dis¬ 
ease  consumption.  On  his  return  to  Victoria,  Father 
Seghers  found  his  health  much  improved,  and  attri¬ 
butes  his  release  from  the  threatening  disease  to  the 
pious  prayers  of  the  saintly  Pius  IX. 

On  the  death  of  the  lamented  Bishop  Demers 
in  July,  1871,  Father  Seghers  was  appointed  Ad¬ 
ministrator  of  the  Diocese  of  Vancouver  Island, 
a  position  which  he  filled  with  such  prudence 
and  zeal  that  at  a  solemn  Consistory  held  in  Rome, 
on  Friday,  March  23d,  1873,  he  was  appointed  to  suc¬ 
ceed  the  deceased  Bishop  of  that  See. 

Immediately  upon  his  consecration  the  youthful 
Bishop  entered  upon  the  development  of  the  religious 
interests  of  his  Diocese ;  new  missions  were  organ¬ 
ized,  churches  were  built,  schools  were  established, 
and  the  magnificent  edifice  known  as  St.  Joseph’s 
Hospital  was  erected  in  Victoria.  Alaska  was  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  Bishop  Seghers,  but  as  yet  no  mis¬ 
sionary  had  visited  the  numerous  Indian  tribes  in  that 
region.  Accordingly,  in  1878,  the  Bishop,  accompa¬ 
nied  by  Rev.  P.  Mandart,  set  out  on  that  long  and 
tedious  journey.  Upon  his  return  from  Alaska,  Bishop 
Seghers  learned  that  during  his  absence  he  had  been 
selected  as  Coadjutor  to  Archbishop  Blanchet,  with 
right  of  succession  ;  and  although  the  reverend  clergy 
and  the  Catholics  of  his  Diocese  heard  the  news  with 
sorrow  at  the  loss  of  one  whom  they  learned  to  love 
for  his  kindly  disposition,  his  talents,  and  his  zeal  for 
the  glory  of  God,  yet,  in  obedience  to  the  behests  of 
Rome,  Bishop  Seghers  humbly  bowed  his  head  to  the 
will  of  God. 

Whilst  the  Holy  Father  was  restlessly  laboring  to 
restore  the  outward  peace  of  the  Church,  he  was  at 


368  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

the  same  time  earnestly  engaged  in  a  second  self-im¬ 
posed  duty — that  of  rebuilding  Christian  society.  Only 
by  bringing  up  a  new  race,  imbued  with  the  spirit  of 
Christianity,  can  the  Church  plant  a  lasting  and  effec¬ 
tive  barrier  against  wide-spreading  corruption.  This  is, 
in  the  first  place,  the  task  of  education,  therefore  the 
task  of  the  school.  Upon  this  .point  both  friend  and 
foe  are  agreed ;  the  party  that  governs  the  schools 
governs  the  future.  Consequently  the  struggle  in 
which  the  irreligious  and  anti-Christian  tendency  of 
the  age  is  engaged  against  the  Church  is  narrowed 
down  to  a  combat  against  the  schools. 

Since  the  overthrow  of  the  temporal  power  of 
the  Pope,  the  management  of  the  public  schools  in 
Rome  was  entrusted  exclusively  to  the  city  Council, 
which  was  composed  of  the  bitterest  enemies  of  the 
Church.  Shortly  after  Leo  XIII.  had  ascended  the 
Papal  throne  this  Council  passed  a  decree  abolishing 
religious  instruction  entirely  from  the  public  schools, 
thus  forcing  Christian  youth  to  attend  anti-Christian 
schools.  In  Rome,  too,  as  in  Perugia,  the  missionaries 
of  the  Bible  Societies  had  recourse  to  every  available 
method  of  corruption.  From  his  Vatican  throne  the 
Holy  Father  looked  down  with  deepest  sorrow  on 
these  events.  He  was  obliged  to  see  the  most  seduc¬ 
tive  means  used  to  lead  youth  astray  and  shake  the 
faith  of  those  Romans  of  whom  St.  Paul  had  given 
such  brilliant  testimony.  The  abomination  of  desola¬ 
tion  was  reigning  in  the  Holy  City. 

All  these  facts  must  be  borne  in  mind  in  order 
properly  to  understand  the  letter  which  Leo  XIII. 
addressed  to  his  Vicar-General  in  Rome,  Cardinal 
Monaco  la  Valetta,  on  June  26th,  1878.  At  the  same 
time  it  throws  a  glaring  light  on  the  pitiable  condition 
of  affairs  in  Rome  through  the  conquest. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  369 

The  Holy  Father  begins  by  acknowledging  the 
cheering  and  encouraging  expressions  of  love  and 
loyalty  tendered  him  from  all  parts  of  the  Catholic 
world  since  the  beginning  of  his  Pontificate,  and  then 
turns  to  the  far  different  spectacle  presented  by  the 
city  of  Rome. 

“Here,”  he  writes,  “  we  behold,  an  unbridled 
press  and  journals  constantly  intent  on  combating 
with  sophism  and  derision  the  faith,  and  impugning 
the  sacred  rights  of  the  Church  and  lessening  its  au¬ 
thority ;  here  temples  of  Protestants*  which  have 
arisen  with  the  money  of  Bible  Societies,  likewise  in 
the  most  populous  streets,  as  if  by  way  of  insult ;  here 
schools,  asylums,  and  hospices,  opened  to  incautious 
youth  with  the  apparent  philanthropic  intention  of 
assisting  them  in  the  culture  of  the  mind  and  in  their 
material  wants,  but  with  the  true  aim  of  forming  of 
them  a  generation  inimical  to  the  religion  and  to  the 
Church  of  Christ.  And  as  if  all  that  were  but  little, 
by  the  work  of  those  who  by  duty  of  their  office  are 
bound  to  promote  the  true  interests  of  the  Roman 
citizens  the  banishment  of  the  Catholic  Catechism  from 
the  municipal  schools  was  lately  decreed — a  measure 
worthy  of  reprobation,  which  removes  likewise  this 
dike  to  heresy  and  bold  unbelief,  and  leaves  the  way 
open  to  a  new  kind  of  foreign  invasion,  much  more 
deadly  and  perilous  than  the  old,  as  it  more  directly 
tends  to  tear  from  the  hearts  of  the  Romans  the  pre¬ 
cious  treasure  of  the  faith  and  the  fruits  which  it 
brings  forth.” 

Then  he  proceeds  to  admonish  Catholic  parents  of 
the  all-important  duty  which  the  natural  and  divine 
law  imposes  on  them,  of  inculcating  in  the  minds  of 


*  There  are  at  present  more  than  twelve  of  them  in  Rome. 


370  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

their  children  the  supernatural  truths  of  religion.  In 
convincing  terms  he  presents  to  them  the  necessity  of 
religious  instruction,  and  in  clear  and  simple  words 
discloses  the  true  aim  of  the  enemies  of  God.  What 
is  this  aim  ?  “  It  is  to  make  the  sojourn  of  the  Pope 

in  Rome  morally  as  well  as  physically  impossible,  and, 
as  they  formerly  enclosed  him'with  arms,  to  surround 
him  now  with  a  wall  of  vices.  These  heretical  sects, 
which  are  now  welcomed  with  such  honors,  are  en¬ 
deavoring,  with  the  assistance  of  these  godless  socie¬ 
ties,  to  shake  that  rock  against  which  Holy  Scripture 
declares  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail.  In  the 
midst  of  a  people  so  utterly  depraved,  how  could  the 
Vicar  of  Christ,  the  teacher  of  all  the  faithful,  have  his 
supreme  authority  respected,  and  honorably  fulfil  the 
duties  of  his  Papal  office  unmolested?  This  is  our 
present  condition,  which  from  all  appearances  will 
continue,  unless  God,  in  His  mercy,  puts  an  end  to 
these  attacks  which  are  continually  gaining  in  fierce¬ 
ness.” 

Complaints,  however,  no  matter  how  just  they  may 
be,  accomplish  nothing.  Leo  XIII.  has  proved  him¬ 
self  to  be  not  only  a  man  of  counsel  but  also  of  deeds. 
He  therefore  planned  effective  measures  of  defence, 
which  he  imparted  to  Cardinal  La  Valetta  in  a  second 
letter,  dated  March  25th,  1879.  He  first  gives  his 
reasons  in  the  following  words : 

“  Painful  experience  teaches  Us  that,  in  the  war 
now  waged  against  the  Church,  her  adversaries  aim 
especially  at  the  young,  and  that  manifestly  with  the 
intention  to  fashion  the  rising  generation  after  their 
own  designs,  and  to  gain  them  over,  in  their  early 
years,  to  their  own  cause.  Accordingly,  after  deny¬ 
ing  to  the  Church  any  power  in  the  conduct  of  public 
affairs,  and  conceding  equal  rights  to  all  denomina- 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  37 1 

tions  of  religion  and  worship,  they  have  determined 
also  to  withdraw  public  instruction  from  the  vigilance 
and  authority  of  the  Church,  although  she  has  ever 
been  the  nurse  and  mistress  of  all  learning ;  and  to 
give  free  access  everywhere  to  teachings  of  all  kinds, 
even  though  atheistic  or  tainted  with  heresy. 

“You  are  well  aware,  Signor  Cardinale,  that 
this  method  of  instructing  youth,  apart  from  the 
beneficent  influence  of  the  Church,  was  introduced 
into  the  States  of  the  Church,  one  by  one,  as  they 
were  wrested  out  of  the  legitimate  rule  of  the  Pon¬ 
tiffs,  and  that  even  here  the  gates  of  the  amplest 
license  were  opened  to  error,  without  taking  the 
smallest  account  of  the  exceedingly  peculiar  con¬ 
ditions  of  this  city,  or  of  the  unique  character  which 
Rome  bears  before  the  eyes  of  the  world,  as  the  seat 
of  the  Vicar  of  Christ  and  the  centre  of  Catholicism. 

“  The  result  is  that  within  these  august  walls, 
wherein  formerly  no  other  instruction  was  afforded 
save  the  purest  instruction  sanctioned  by  the  Church, 
now,  on  the  contrary,  the  Catholic  Catechism  is  barely 
tolerated  for  an  hour  or  so  in  the  public  schools, 
while  in  those  opened  and  maintained  by  Protestants 
the  tender  minds  of  young  boys  and  girls  are  imbued 
with  corrupt  doctrines  in  conformity  with  the  hete¬ 
rodox  spirit  of  the  teachers.  For  many  well-known 
circumstances  have  clearly  revealed  the  design  con¬ 
ceived  by  the  enemies  of  the  Catholic  religion,  to 
diffuse  extensively  in  Rome  the  false  principles  of 
Protestantism  ;  to  avail  themselves  of  the  liberty  con¬ 
ceded  by  the  laws  in  order  to  direct  specially  against 
Rome  the  forces  hitherto  employed  in  the  different 
cities  of  the  Peninsula;  and  to  establish  here,  under 
the  influence  of  strangers  and  with  means  supplied 
from  abroad,  the  head-quarters  of  the  heterodox  prop- 


372  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

aganda  in  Italy.  This  design  is  to  be  carried  into 
effect  mainly  by  the  schools  and  in  the  schools  which, 
instead  of  diminishing  with  the  lapse  of  time,  seem  to 
be  increasing  year  by  year  by  the  labors  and  money 
of  strangers,  who  frequently  on  their  arrival  here  open 
fresh  schools,  and  endeavor  by  every  artifice  to  attract 
to  them  numbers  of  young  persons.  For  this  pur¬ 
pose  they  offer  large  pecuniary  help,  and  other  mate¬ 
rial  aids,  towards  supplying  the  manifold  necessities 
of  life  to  those  children  who  suffer  most  the  stings  of 
poverty  and  the  distresses  of  indigence,  while  to 
others  they  are  profusely  bountiful  of  promises,  pre¬ 
miums,  caresses,  and  inducements  of  every  kind.  Nor 
can  We  here  pass  over  in  silence  the  opening  of  anti- 
Catholic  schools,  with  singular  effrontery,  under  Our 
very  eyes,  even  at  the  gates  of  the  Vatican,  the  vene¬ 
rated  seat  of  the  Roman  Pontiffs.  In  contrast  to  this 
licentious  liberty  so  amply  conceded  to  heterodox 
schools,  in  ways  indirect  indeed,  but  yet  supremely 
efficacious,  they  endeavor  to  impede  the  increase  and 
development  of  the  Catholic  schools.  In  fact  there  is 
no  lack  of  sinister  insinuations,  when  necessary,  against 
the  Catholic  schools,  nor  of  special  acts  of  rigor  and 
menaces,  put  forth  with  the  object  of  preventing  pa¬ 
rents  from  entrusting  their  children  to  teachers  sin¬ 
cerely  Christian. 

“  We  will  not,  Signor  Cardinale,  pause  to  demon¬ 
strate  how  contrary  to  even  the  public  prosperity  and 
the  common  advantage  is  the  mode  of  instruction 
such  as  they  at  present  demand,  which  is  not  modelled 
after  the  spirit  of  Christianity.  For  every  one  knows 
to  what  extremes  society  would  be  reduced  if  a  gen¬ 
eration  were  allowed  to  grow  up  in  its  midst  unpro¬ 
vided  with  Christian  teachings,  disaffected  towards 
the  practices  of  religion,  and  without  firm  principles 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  373 


of  morality.  The  lamentable  proofs  which  we  already 
possess  of  this  in  the  past  afford  an  even  more  emister 
augury  for  the  future. 

“  We  would  only  observe  how  badly  in  this  respect, 
also,  provision  was  made  for  the  dignity  and  the 
liberty  of  the  Roman  Pontiff.  In  fact,”  he  continues, 
“  Our  condition,  as  the  result  of  the  sad  series  of  events 
to  which  We  have  above  alluded,  is  such  that  We  are 
forced  to  see  error  made  free,  under  the  protection  of 
the  public  laws,  to  erect  its  chair  in  Rome,  while  We 
Ourselves  are  not  permitted  to  use  efficacious  means 
to  silence  it. — Now  it  is  easy  to  understand  how  un, 
becoming  it  is  that  the  city  wherein  the  Vicar  of 
Jesus  Christ  has  his  seat  should  be  contaminated  with 
impunity  by  heresy,  and  rendered,  as  in  pagan  times, 
the  receptacle  of  errors,  the  asylum  of  sects.  Every 
true  reason  induces  the  persuasion  that  in  this  Holy 
City,  consecrated  by  the  blood  of  the  Princes  of  the 
Apostles,  and  of  so  many  heroes  of  Christianity,  cele¬ 
brated  even  from  Apostolic  times  for  its  faith,  and 
whence,  as  from  a  centre,  the  life  and  light  of  Chris¬ 
tian  truth  and  example  must  be  diffused  over  all 
the  world,  the  religion  of  Christ  ought  to  reign  as 
mistress  and  as  sovereign,  and  the  Universal  Doctor 
of  the  Faith,  the  Vindicator  of  Christian  morality, 
ought  to  have  free  power  to  bar  the  access  against 
impiety  and  to  maintain  therein  the  purity  of  Catholic 
teachings. — Also,  the  faithful,  who  from  every  part  of 
the  world  travel  to  Rome  in  pilgrimage,  rightly  ex¬ 
pect  to  find  in  the  city  of  their  Supreme  Head  nothing 
save  strengthening  for  their  faith,  food  for  their  piety, 
and  splendid  examples  for  them  to  imitate.  They 
must  be  highly  embittered  and  indignant  at  behold¬ 
ing,  on  the  contrary,  error  creeping  about  within  it 
and  spreading  itself  to  the  infinite  ruin  of  souls. 


374  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

“  It  is  easy  to  comprehend,  Signor  Cardinale,  how 
bitter  to  Our  heart  is  this  attack,  so  insidiously  made 
against  the  faith  of  Rome,  and  how  impossible  it  is  for 
Us  to  resign  Ourselves  to  a  state  of  things  so  contrary 
to  the  sentiments  of  Our  dignity  and  so  incompatible 
with  the  sacred  rights  and  duties  of  Our  Supreme 
power. 

“  Meanwhile,  in  the  midst  of  the  most  grave  diffi¬ 
culties  by  which  We  are  surrounded,  nothing  remains 
for  Us  to  do  save  to  direct  Our  special  cares  to  miti¬ 
gate  at  least  the  bitterness  of  the  evil,  and,  as  much  as 
possible,  to  impede  its  further  diffusion.” 

Acting  on  these  convictions,  the  Holy  Father  ap¬ 
pointed  a  committee,  consisting  of  prelates  and  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  Roman  Patriciate,  to  take  charge  of  the 
management  of  the  elementary  and  primary  schools  in 
Rome.  It  was  their  duty  to  become  thoroughly  ac¬ 
quainted  with  the  condition  of  the  Catholic  schools, 
to  investigate  whether  they  supplied  the  required 
demands,  to  report  such  as  needed  enlargement  or 
where  new  ones  were  to  be  built,  and  to  supply  com¬ 
petent  instructors.  But  as  money  is  the  most  pow¬ 
erful  instrument  with  which  heretics  battle  against 
truth,  they  must  be  met  with  the  same  weapons: 
“  Wherefore,”  continues  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  “We 
propose  to  subscribe  liberally  every  year  from  Our  own 
private  means  towards  this  most  important  object ;  and 
inasmuch  as  the  interests  of  the  entire  Catholic  world 
are  intimately  bound  up  with  the  conservation  of  the 
faith  in  Rome,  We  intend  that  the  Peter’s  Pence,  in  so 
far  as  the  needs  of  the  Church  Universal  permit,  shall 
also  contribute  towards  the  prosperity  of  Our  schools.” 
Then  he  calls  on  all  good  Catholics,  especially  the  Ro¬ 
man  patrician  families  and  the  Roman  clergy,  to  lend 
their  active  co-operation  to  this  undertaking,  and  to 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  375 

emulate  the  brilliant  example  of  self-sacrifice  of  the 
Catholics  of  other  countries. 

The  words  of  the  Holy  Father  were  not  uttered 
in  vain.  Priests  and  laymen  took  an  active  interest 
in  the  schools,  especially  in  spreading  religious  instruc¬ 
tion,  and  the  patrician  families  gave  liberal  donations. 
The  Sacred  College  endorsed  the  views  of  the  Holy 
Father.  Cardinal  Borromeo,  since  deceased,  appro¬ 
priated  his  whole  fortune  to  this  object,  and  twice 
a  week  personally  gave  religious  instruction  to  the 
poor  children  in  the  quarter  of  St.  Vitale,  besides 
furnishing  most  of  them  with  necessary  clothing. 

The  Holy  Father  gives  annually  100,000  francs  to 
these  schools,  and  in  the  year  1879  he  built  29  new 
ones.  Even  the  liberal  papers  have  made  complaint 
that  the  irreligious  State-schools  are  becoming  depop¬ 
ulated  for  the  reason  that  parents  prefer  to  entrust 
their  children  to  schools  conducted  in  a  religious 
spirit. 

The  example  which  Leo  XIII.  has  given  in  this 
matter  is  the  more  important  because  it  deserves  to 
be  imitated  wherever  similar  schools  threaten  the  same 
danger  to  the  faith  of  youth — a  danger  which  can  be 
averted  in  no  other  way  than  by  fostering  good  relig¬ 
ious  schools. 

The  Holy  Father  interested  himself,  however,  not 
only  in  the  primary  schools,  but  he  was  equally  solici¬ 
tous  to  promote  the  interests  of  higher  education. 
From  the  higher  schools  emanate  those  educated 
minds  who  are  the  shining  lights  of  science.  Science 
has  at  all  times  been  a  power,  and  at  the  present  day 
it  is  more  so  than  ever.  Leo  XIII.  was  fully  aware 
of  this  fact ;  he  knew  that  the  attacks  which  the  ene¬ 
mies  of  the  true  faith  were  planning  against  Christ  and 
His  Holy  Church  were  to  be  carried  out  in  the  name 


376  ,  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

of  science.  The  tendency  of  the  age  was  beginning 
its  work  of  destruction,  and  to  this  rapidly  spreading 
evil  he  wished  to  oppose  an  effective  barrier  in  Chris¬ 
tian  science.  This  barrier  he  determined  to  strengthen 
by  all  the  means  at  his  command. 

The  foundation  was  laid.  Belgium  had  long  pos¬ 
sessed  her  flourishing  Catholic  university  at  Louvain. 
England  and  Ireland  could  boast  of  similar  institu¬ 
tions.  Latterly  the  French  Catholics  had  also  fallen 
into  line.  Count  Montalembert,  Bishop  Dupanloup, 
and  others,  by  their  unwearied  efforts  and  brilliant 
eloquence,  had  at  length  obtained  a  hard-earned  vic¬ 
tory  for  free  education.  Without  delay  the  victory 
was  turned  to  advantage.  In  Paris,  Lille,  Toulouse, 
Lyons,  Angers,  Catholic  universities  sprung  up  in  op¬ 
position  to  the  anti-Christian  State  universities  of  Paris 
and  other  cities.  As  in  Belgium,  so  also  in  France 
the  Bishops  were  at  the  head  of  the  institutions,  they 
took  the  management  in  their  hands,  and  appointed 
the  teachers.  With  a  liberality  peculiar  to  the  French 
Catholics,  millions  were  donated  in  one  year,  and 
these  celebrated  seats  of  Christian  science  grew  rap¬ 
idly  in  importance. 

Imbued  with  a  genuine  Catholic  spirit,  and  guided 
by  their  innate  devotion  to  the  Holy  See,  they  strove 
to  be  foremost  in  paying  their  homage  to  the  new 
Pope.  In  consequence,  as  early  as  February  28th, 
1878,  a  deputation  with  the  Rector  of  the  University 
of  Angers  at  their  head  appeared  before  Leo  XIII. 

He  took  advantage  of  this  occasion  freely  to  com¬ 
municate  his  views  on  the  higher  systems  of  educa¬ 
tion.  He  expressed  great  joy  at  the  existence  of  these 
institutions,  which  he  entitled  the  consolation  and 
hope  of  the  Church,  and  he  saw  in  them  the  promise 
of  a  brighter  future  for  France.  “  It  will  be  through 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  3 77 

them,”  he  continued,  “that  sound  doctrines,  the  first 
elements  of  social  prosperity,  will  be  spread  abroad  in 
minds.  The  professors  selected  by  the  Episcopate, 
uniting  purity  of  faith  to  profundity  of  science,  will 
form  generations  of  Christians  capable  of  defending 
and  honoring  their  belief.  Families  will  not  long  de¬ 
lay  to  recognize  the  superiority  of  these  teachings; 
and  the  Catholic  universities,  although  wholly  de¬ 
pendent  on  the  charity  of  the  faithful,  will  advanta¬ 
geously  sustain  competition  with  other  establishments 
provided  with  superior  material  resources  and  main¬ 
tained  by  the  Government.  This  is  what  I  myself 
have  seen  in  Belgium,  when  I  represented  the  Holy 
See  there  in  quality  of  Nuncio.  The  free  University 
of  Louvain  had  itself  alone  more  alumni  than  all  the 
other  universities  united.” 

Although  the  first  year  of  his  Pontificate  had 
elapsed,  the  Holy  Father  had  not  yet  filled  the  vacan¬ 
cies  which  death  had  made  in  the  ranks  of  the  College 
of  Cardinals.  He  had  resolved  to  proceed  with  the 
utmost  circumspection  in  a  matter  of  such  vital  im¬ 
portance  to  the  whole  Church.  At  length  his  choice 
was  made.  To  use  his  own  words,  this  choice  fell 
on  men  of  approved  reputation  and  prominent,  some 
for  their  zeal,  wisdom,  and  capability  to  fill  their 
sacred  offices,  to  defend  the  rights  and  doctrines  of  the 
Church ;  others  for  their  brilliant  reputation  in  the 
cause  of  science  as  teachers  or  writers.  Their  names 
were  proclaimed  in  the  Consistory  which  was  held 
March  12th,  1879.  There  were  ten,  of  which  number 
three  were  Italians  and  seven  of  other  nationalities. 

The  three  Italian  Cardinals  were:  Bishop  Ali- 
monda,  of  Albenga,  born  at  Genoa,  in  1818,  the  most 
celebrated  pulpit  orator  in  Italy,  and  renowned  as 
well  for  his  deep  theological  attainments  as  for  his 


378  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

enthusiastic  ardor  in  saving  souls.  The  Dominican 
Father  Thomas  Zigliara,  whose  works  are  favorably 
known  in  the  world  of  letters,  and  who  is  recog¬ 
nized  as  one  of  the  most  thorough  students  of  the 
philosophy  of  St.  Thomas,  and  as  an  eminent  theo¬ 
logian.  He  is  the  youngest  member  of  the  Sacred 
College,  having  been  born  in  the  year  1833,  at  Boni¬ 
facio,  on  the  island  of  Corsica.  The  Holy  Father 


CARDINAL  PECCI. 


while  yet  in  Perugia  had  known  Zigliara,  who  com¬ 
pleted  his  theological  studies  in  the  Dominican  Con¬ 
vent  there,  and  received  holy  orders  from  Cardinal 
Pecci  on  the  18th  of  May,  1856.  His  promotion  had 
a  special  significance  in  reference  to  the  revival  of 
philosophical  and  theological  studies  after  the  spirit 
of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  which  the  Holy  Father  had 
determined  to  accomplish. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  379 

In  compliance  with  the  urgent  request  of  the  Sa¬ 
cred  College,  Leo  XIII.  appointed  his  own  brother, 
Joseph  Pecci,  who  in  every  respect  was  worthy  to 
stand  by  the  side  of  these  prominent  men,  and  who, 
to  use  Leo’s  own  expression,  was  intimately  united 
with  them  by  the  ties  of  brotherly  love.  We  have 
seen  that  for  many  years  he  was  teaching  in  the  semi¬ 
nary  at  Perugia.  In  the  year  i860,  after  the  capture 
of  this  city  by  the  Piedmontese,  Pope  Pius  IX.  called 
him  to  a  professorship  in  the  Roman  University. 
This  position  he  held  for  ten  years,  and  was  among 
the  theologians  who  performed  the  preparatory  labors 
of  the  Vatican  Council.  After  the  conquest  of  Rome, 
in  the  year  1870,  he  resigned  his  office  because  he 
would  not  take  the  oath  prescribed  by  the  new  gov¬ 
ernment,  and  devoted  himself  to  science  in  retirement, 
until  recalled  by  his  appointment  as  one  of  the  princes 
of  the  Church. 

In  his  selection  of  foreign  Cardinals,  Leo  XIII.  re¬ 
membered  Austria,  Hungary,  France,  Germany,  Por¬ 
tugal,  and  England. 

x'Yustria  was  represented  by  Frederick,  landgrave 
of  Furstenberg,  Archbishop  of  Olm utz  in  Moravia,  a 
man  distinguished  not  only  for  his  high  birth,  but  for 
his  noble  defence  of  the  rights  of  the  Church  and  the 
Holy  See.  Born  in  1813,  he  was  raised  to  the  dig¬ 
nity  of  Archbishop  of  Olmiitz  in  1853,  and  the  city  is 
indebted  to  him  for  the  new  cathedral,  a  splendid  new 
seminary  for  boys,  a  high  school,  an  asylum  for  infirm 
priests,  and  many  other  similar  institutions. 

Archbishop  Louis  Haynald,  of  Calocsa,  was  the 
chosen  one  among  the  Hungarian  princes  of  the 
Church.  Born  in  1816,  he  occupied  the  Bishop’s 
chair  since  1867  in  Calocsa,  and  was  the  model  of  an 
indefatigable,  energetic  Bishop.  He  displayed  deep 


380  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

interest  in  the  welfare  of  youth  by  establishing  a 
number  of  schools,  not  only  primary  schools  but  semi¬ 
naries  and  higher  institutions  of  learning.  His  liberal 
income  enabled  him  to  devote  annually  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  francs  for  these  and  other  benevolent 
institutions,  and  he  did  it  with  the  most  self-sacrificing 
liberality.  A  scholar  of  the  highest  order,  philologist, 
botanist,  orator,  he  possesses  a  library  of  over  fifty 
thousand  volumes,  and  is  untiring  in  his  efforts  to 
promote  Christian  science. 

Whilst  Austria  and  Hungary  are  ably  represented 
by  such  men  in  the  Sacred  College,  France  has  fur¬ 
nished  no  lesser  celebrities  in  the  persons  of  the  most 
Rev.  Desprez,  Archbishop  of  Toulouse  (born  in  1807), 
and  Bishop  Pie,  of  Poitiers  (born  in  1815),  renowned 
for  his  theological  learning  and  piety. 

Portugal  received  as  her  new  Cardinal,  Ferreira 
dos  Santos  Silvas,  Archbishop  of  Porto,  born  in  1829. 

The  appointments  from  Germany  and  England, 
however,  attracted  the  attention  of  the  world,  since  in 
them  Leo  XIII.  desired  most  especially  to  pay  homage 
to  Christian  science. 

Universal  joy  reigned  through  Germany  when  it 
became  known  that  Dr.  Hergenrother  was  to  be  hon¬ 
ored  with  the  purple.  With  pride  Germany  ranks 
him  with  the  Bishop  of  Rottenburg,  Dr.  Hefele,  as  the 
greatest  of  living  Catholic  Church-historians. 

Joseph  Hergenrbther  was  born  in  1824,  at  Wurz¬ 
burg,  in  Bavaria.  He  finished  his  theological  studies 
in  the  German  College  at  Rome  with  distinction, 
and  soon  after  his  return  to  his  native  city  he  became 
professor  of  Church  history.  Hundreds  of  pupils  sat 
at  the  feet  of  the  celebrated  teacher.  Enthusiastic  in 
his  love  for  the  Church,  he  began  an  active  literary 
career,  taking  as  his  motto,  “  All  for  truth,  nothing 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  38 1 

against  it;  all  for  the  Church,  nothing  against  her.” 
In  his  first  important  work,  “  The  State  of  the  Church 
since  the  French  Revolution,”  published  in  i860,  he 
entered  the  ranks  in  defence  of  the  threatened  rights 
of  the  Papacy.  He  was  also  among  the  number  of 
German  theologians  who  were  summoned  to  Rome 
to  assist  in  the  preparatory  labors  of  the  Vatican 
Council.  After  the  Council  he  was  prominent  in  his 


CARDINAL  HERGENROTHER. 


opposition  to  the  so-called  Old-Catholics,  and  in  1872 
published  his  great  work,  “  The  Catholic  Church  and 
the  Christian  State.”  Thus  he  became  a  pillar  of  the 
Church  in  Germany.  His  text-book  on  Church  His¬ 
tory  is  alasting  memorial  to  German  depth  of  thought 
and  devotion  to  the  Church.  Pius  IX.  recognized  his 
greatness  and  rewarded  his  labors  by  appointing  him 
as  Papal  Domestic  Prelate,  and  now  Leo  XIII.  in- 


382  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

duced  him,  in  spite  of  his  reluctance,  to  exchange  his 
professor’s  chair  for  a  seat  in  the  College  of  Cardinals. 
Furthermore,  he  created  a  special  office  for  this  de¬ 
votee  of  history,  that  of  Archivist  of  the  holy  Roman 
Church,  and  thus  placed  in  his  hands  the  keys  to  the 
richest  stores  of  history. 

In  a  quiet  Oratorian  convent  in  the  great  English 
manufacturing  city  of  Birmingham  lives  the  celebrated 


CARDINAL  NEWMAN. 


English  convert,  Dr.  Newman.  Born  in  1801  in  Lon¬ 
don,  a  descendant  of  an  Anglican  family,  he  completed 
his  studies  with  distinction  in  the  University  of  Ox¬ 
ford.  lie  belonged  to  that  select  class  of  reasoners 
who,  by  pure  and  unprejudiced  research,  have  come 
to  the  conviction  that  the  Anglican  Church,  as  it  now 
stands,  cannot  possibly  be  the  true  Church  of  Christ. 
At  the  head  of  these  men  was  Dr.  Fuse}’,  from  whom 
they  received  the  name  of  Puseyites.  They  adopted 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  383 

a  course  tending  towards  Catholic  views,  and  it  soon 
led  many  of  the  noblest  and  most  learned  of  them  into 
the  fold  of  the  true  Church.  Among  these  was  Dr. 
Newman,  who  took  this  step  in  the  year  1845.  So 
prominent  was  Dr.  Newman  among  his  own  country¬ 
men  that  Lord  Palmerston,  the  English  minister,  pro¬ 
nounced  this  the  most  important  event  in  England 
since  the  Reformation. 

“On  the  evening  of  October  28,  1846,”  says  one  of 
Ireland’s  most  brilliant  sons,  the  unfortunate  “  Father 
Prout,”  “  Mr.  Newman  entered  the  Eternal  City. 
Next  morning  the  ex-Anglican’s  first  impulse  was  to 
pay  his  homage  at  the  tomb  of  the  apostles,  when,  as 
chance  would  have  it,  Pius  IX.  was  in  the  act  of  real¬ 
izing  the  lines  of  Scott’s  ballad, 

‘The  Pope  he  was  saying  his  High,  High  Mass, 

All  at  St.  Peter’s  shrine.’ 

Their  interview  occurred  in  the  crypt  or  subterranean 
sanctuary,  the  oldest  portion  of  the  Basilica.”  The 
Pontiff,  after  telling  the  pilgrim,  who,  by  the  way, 
had  kissed  the  soil  of  the  Holy  City  in  token  of 
his  loyalty  to  its  Ruler,  to  send  to  England  for  his 
companions,  formed  them  into  an  Oratory,  and  ar¬ 
ranged  that  they  should  take  possession  of  chambers 
in  the  Monastery  of  Sta.  Croce,  until  their  reordina¬ 
tion  in  the  Church  of  Rome.  “And  thus  it  came  to 
pass,”  said  Father  Newman,  some  years  ago,  in  a  ser¬ 
mon  at  Birmingham,  “that  on  my  return  to  England 
I  was  able  to  associate  myself  with  others  who  had 
not  gone  to  Rome,  till  we  were  so  many  in  number 
that  not  only  did  we  establish  our  own  Oratory  here, 
whither  the  Pope  had  specially  sent  us,  but  we  found 
we  could  throw  off  from  us  a  colony  of  zealous  and 
able  priests  into  the  metropolis,  and  establish  there 


384  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

with  the  powers  with  which  the  Pope  had  furnished 
me,  and  the  sanction  of  the  late  Cardinal  (Wiseman), 
that  Oratory  which  has  done  and  still  does  so  much 
good  among  the  Catholics  of  London.” 

Father  Newman  devoted  himself  to  extended  mis¬ 
sionary  labors,  wrote  a  number  of  literary  works  which 
attracted  the  attention  of  all  England,  and  has  since 
been  the  leader  of  the  Catholic  movement  in  England. 
It  was  he  who  established  the  Catholic  University  in 
Dublin,  at  the  request  of  the  Irish  Bishops.  Since 
his  conversion  to  the  Church  he  has  lost  nothing  of 
the  great  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  the  Angli¬ 
cans,  as  was  proved  in  his  recent  visit  to  the  Univer¬ 
sity  of  Oxford,  where  the  most  distinguished  honors 
were  paid  him. 

This  was  the  man  whom  Leo  XIII.  called  from 
his  cherished  obscurity.  Reluctantly,  and  solely  out 
of  obedience  to  the  will  of  the  Holy  Father,  could  he  be 
induced  to  accept  the  proffered  distinction,  by  which 
all  England,  Protestant  as  well  as  Catholic,  felt  hon¬ 
ored.  What  a  remarkable  change  !  When  Pius  IX., 
in  the  year  1850,  appointed  Archbishop  Wiseman,  of 
Westminster,  as  Cardinal,  all  England  resounded  with 
the  cry,  “  No  Popery  !  Down  with  the  Papacy !” 
and  thirty  years  later  Cardinal  Newman  alluded  with 
pleasure  to  the  change  in  the  sentiment  of  the  English 
people,  at  a  meeting  held  in  his  honor  on  his  return 
to  England. 

In  the  same  Consistory  in  which  Leo  XIII.  ap¬ 
pointed  the  new  Cardinals,  he  had  also  the  consola¬ 
tion  of  being  able  to  announce  a  satisfactory  settlement 
of  the  ancient  troubles  in  the  Oriental  Church.  The 
Turkish  Government  recognized  the  rights  of  the 
Catholic  Patriarch,  Hassoun,  and  Bishop  Kupelian, 
the  leader  of  the  Armenian  schismatics,  came  in  pe' 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  385 

son  to  Rome,  to  throw  himself  at  the  feet  of  Leo  XI If. 
and  contritely  ask  for  forgiveness. 

At  a  public  Consistory,  held  May  15,  1879,  the  va_ 
cant  sees  of  Hartford  and  of  Marquette  and  Sault-Sainte 
Marie  were  provided  for  by  the  appointment  of  Rev. 
Lawrence  S.  McMahon  to  the  first,  and  Rev.  John 
Vertin  to  the  second. 

Right  Rev.  Dr.  Lawrence  S.  McMahon,  Bishop 
of  Hartford,  was  born  in  New  Brunswick,  Dominion 
of  Canada,  in  1835.  He  came  to  the  United  States 
at  a  very  early  age,  and  in  due  time  began  his  studies 
under  the  Jesuit  Fathers  at  Holy  Cross  College, 
Worcester,  Mass.  When,  in  1851,  this  institution  was 
destroyed  by  fire,  the  future  Bishop  went  to  Mon¬ 
treal,  and,  after  remaining  there  for  a  time,  entered  St. 
Mary’s  Seminary,  Baltimore,  where  he  made  his 
course  of  philosophy  under  the  direction  of  the  Sul- 
pician  Fathers.  He  next  visited  Aix,  in  France,  where 
he  continued  his  theological  studies,  and  finally  went 
to  Rome,  where,  haying  finished  his  course,  he  was 
raised  to  the  dignity  of  the  priesthood  in  i860. 

Father  McMahon  returned  to  the  United  States 
soon  after  his  ordination,  and  was  assigned,  by  the 
late  Bishop  Fitzpatrick,  to  the  Cathedral  of  the  Holy 
Cross,  Boston.  During  our  civil  war  he  acted  as  chap¬ 
lain  of  the  28th  Massachusetts  regiment,  and  on  his 
return  from  the  war  was  assigned  to  the  pastoral 
charge  of  the  Church  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Bridge- 
water,  Mass.  In  July,  1865,  he  was  appointed  pastor 
of  St.  Lawrence’s  Church,  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  where 
he  labored  until  made  Bishop. 

Right  Rev.  Dr.  John  Vertin  was  born  in  the  Illy¬ 
rian  diocese  of  Doblice,  Austria,  in  the  year  1844.  I*1 

1863  he  came  to  this  country,  and  was  ordained  priest 
in  1866.  He  was  made  assistant  to  the  Rev.  John 


386  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

Power,  at  St.  Ignatius’  Church,  Houghton,  and  de¬ 
pendent  missions.  In  the  following  year  he  succeeded 
Father  Brown  as  pastor,  and  was  alone  in  his  work. 
He  continued  to  minister  to  the  wants  of  the  Catholics 
of  that  region  for  five  years,  when,  in  1870,  the  Right 
Rev.  Bishop  Mrak  transferred  him  to  the  pastoral 
charge  of  St.  Paul’s  Church,  Negaunee,  where  he  was 
still  doing  the  work  of  his  Master  when  the  news 
reached  him  that  he  was  appointed  by  his  Holiness, 
Pope  Leo  XIII.,  to  succeed  the  Right  Rev.  Dr.  Mrak, 
in  the  See  of  Marquette. 

The  anti-Christian,  revolutionary  party  of  Italy, 
unceasing  in  its  hatred  to  Catholic  faith  and  princi¬ 
ples,  endeavored  about  this  time  to  create  a  law  by 
which  the  sacred  character  of  Marriage  would  be  an¬ 
nulled  and  the  great  Sacrament  be  reduced  to  a  mere 
civil  contract.  The  Holy  Father  at  once  threw  him¬ 
self  in  the  gap  between  his  people  and  the  enemies  of 
morality,  and  in  a  letter  dated  June  1st,  1879,  addressed 
to  the  Archbishops  and  Bishops  of  Turin,  Vercelli, 
and  Genoa,  unmasked  the  covert  design  against  the 
Church.  As  usual,  the  utterance  of  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff  contains  teaching  for  the  whole  world.  The 
Holy  Father  points  out  that  the  proposed  law  is 
“  dictated  less  by  sentiments  of  order  and  a  desire  of 
the  well-being  of  the  people  than  by  a  design  of  crush¬ 
ing  the  Church  and  the  clergy  with  new  tribulations, 
and  increasing  the  elements  of  perversion  among  the 
Italian  people.”  And  he  is  right ;  for  by  this  law  the 
priest  celebrating  the  marriage  of  persons  who  had 
not  yet  gone  through  the  form  of  civil  marriage  would 
be  subject  to  fines  and  penalties,  which  would  fall  im¬ 
mediately  upon  him,  while  the  fine  in  the  case  of  the 
persons  themselves  would  be  delayed,  and  perhaps  at 
last,  after  a  legal  defence,  remitted. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  387 

“  Marriage,”  continues  his  Holiness,  “  at  least  in  all 
that  concerns  the  substance  and  sanctity  of  the  con¬ 
jugal  tie,  is  an  essentially  sacred  and  religious  act 
which  naturally  ought  to  be  regulated  by  the  spiritual 
power,  which  holds  this  power  not  as  delegated  to  it 
by  the  State  or  by  the  consent  of  princes,  but  in  the 
order  established  by  the  Divine  Founder  of  Christian¬ 
ity  and  the  Author  of  the  Sacraments.”  Modern  pro¬ 
gress  wishes  to  separate  the  contract  from  the  Sacra¬ 
ment,  subjecting  the  contract  to  the  authority  of  the 
State,  and  leaving  the  part  of  the  Church  to  be  noth¬ 
ing  but  a  simple  right,  a  ceremony  external  to  it. 
“  Here  there  is  a  doctrine  which  overturns  the  essential 
idea  of  Christian  marriage,  in  which  the  conjugal  tie, 
sanctified  by  religion,  identifies  itself  with  the  Sacra¬ 
ment,  and  these  two  things  unite  inseparably  to  con¬ 
stitute  one  only  act,  one  single  reality . In 

vain  they  may  cite  the  example  of  those  Catholic 
nations  which,  after  having  deeply  suffered  from 
revolutionary  struggles  and  social  perturbations,  have 
found  themselves  constrained  to  submit  to  a  like  re¬ 
form,  which  was  either  inspired  by  heterodox  influ¬ 
ences  and  doctrines,  or  established  by  the  strength  of 
those  in  power.  For  the  rest,  while  for  these  peoples 
it  was  fruitful  in  bitterness,  this  reform  has  never 
possessed  a  pacific  sway,  being  always  disapproved  by 
the  conscience  of  sincere  Catholics  and  by  the  legiti¬ 
mate  authority  of  the  Church.”  In  those  few  words 
there  is  a  great  amount  of  teaching  that  ought  to  be 
known  to  every  one. 

At  the  Consistory  of  September  22,  1879,  the  Sov¬ 
ereign  Pontiff  issued  a  Brief  appointing  Rev.  Francis 
Leray  Administrator  of  the  Archdiocese  of  New 
Orleans,  with  right  of  succession  as  Archbishop,  and 
Rev.  John  B.  A.  Brondel  Bishop  of  Vancouver  Island. 


383  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

Right  Rev.  Francis  Leray  was  many  years  Vicar- 
General  of  Bishop  Elder,  at  Natchez.  He  is  a  man  of 
marked  administrative  abilities,  and  his  learning  and 
devotion  well  fit  him  for  the  position  conferred  on 
him. 

The  Holy  Father,  when  in  Perugia,  gave  evidence 
of  the  high  estimation  in  which  he  held  that  ideal 
Christian  scholar,  St.  Thomas,  and  now,  when  installed 
m  the  highest  professor’s  chair  of  the  Church,  he  ad¬ 
vised  a  complete  return  to  the  teachings  of  St.  Thomas 
as  the  most  practical  means  of  promoting  Christian 
science.  Nor  was  he  alone  in  his  convictions.  Cath¬ 
olic  literary  celebrities  everywhere  had  come  to  the 
same  conclusion,  and  his  Holiness  felt  assured  that  he 
was  merely  giving  authoritative  expression  to  a  long- 
felt  want.  It  was  with  great  satisfaction,  therefore, 
that  on  the  4th  August,  1879,  he  published  a  Bull,  be¬ 
ginning  “  JEterni  Patris  Filius,”  declaring  that  in  all 
Catholic  schools  the  study  of  Philosophy  and  Theol¬ 
ogy  should  be  based  on  the  system  adopted  by  St. 
Thomas. 

The  words  of  the  Holy  Father  found  a  welcome  in 
the  Catholic  world  ;  Bishops,  men  of  letters,  universi¬ 
ties,  academies,  sent  enthusiastic  replies.  We  have 
room  for  only  one  of  these  which  is  of  the  highest  inter¬ 
est  to  the  Catholics  of  the  United  States.  It  is  a  letter 
addressed  to  the  Holy  Father,  Leo  XIII.,  on  the  20th 
of  February,  1880,  by  his  Eminence,  the  Cardinal  Arch¬ 
bishop  of  New  York,  the  Archbishop  of  Boston,  and 
the  Archbishop  of  Philadelphia,  together  with  their 
fourteen  suffragan  Bishops,  in  which  the  American  Pre¬ 
lates  declare  their  full  and  entire  adhesion  to  the  doc¬ 
trine  and  the  recommendation  of  the  Sovereign  Pontiff : 
“  Most  Holy  Father,”  it  declares,  “we  have  read  with 
the  greatest  joy  the  Encyclical  letter  which  yourHoli- 


THE  VATICAN  LIBRARY.  Page  38g. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  39 1 

ness  addressed  in  the  month  of  August  last  to  the 
Bishops  of  the  Catholic  world,  exhorting  them  to 
excite  the  zeal  of  the  clergy  and  of  all  other  learned 
men  in  favor  of  the  philosophical  and  theological 
doctrine  and  method  of  St.  Thomas.  .  .  .  You  have 
clearly  perceived,  and  you  prove  beyond  a  doubt, 
that  it  is  impossible  to  meet  the  errors  which  crowd 
in  upon  us  from  every  side,  unless  we  return  to  the 
ancient  methods  of  Philosophy  in  our  schools.  For, 
since  men  of  rebellious  minds  and  unbridled  license 
of  opinion  have  rejected  the  teachings  of  the  Fathers 
and  the  guidance  of  St.  Thomas,  it  is  hardly  possible 
to  tell  how  many  and  what  monstrous  errors  have 
taken  possession  of  the  schools  of  philosophy.  .  .  .  On 
our  part,  we  promise  to  second  your  desires  to  the 
best  of  our  power.  We  will  see  that  no  school  or 
seminary  of  higher  studies  in  our  dioceses  shall  fail 
to  imbue  its  students  with  the  pure  doctrine  of  St. 
Thomas,  and  we  thank  you,  Most  Holy  Father,  for 
your  vindication  of  the  great  Doctor  of  the  Church, 
and  for  your  efforts  to  promote  the  true  progress  of 
all  science.” 

Leo  XIII.  also  acted  according  to  the  spirit  of  his 
writings,  and  gave  the  lead  by  his  own  example  in 
Rome.  On  the  27th  of  November,  1878,  he  gave  the 
professors  of  the  Gregorian  University  in  Rome  an 
audience  and  directed  them  to  base  their  lectures  on 
the  teachings  of  St.  Thomas.  In  order  to  encourage 
and  infuse  fresh  enthusiasm  into  the  students,  he  as¬ 
sisted  at  a  public  philosophical  debate  on  the  26th  of 
June,  1879,  ar*d  manifested  his  interest  in  it  to  the  close. 
This  was  held  in  the  Vatican  Library.  He  wished 
these  scientific  contests  to  be  repeated  at  stated  times. 
Similar  debates  were  ordered  in  the  other  Roman 
Institutions,  such  as  the  Seminarium  Pium,  St.  Peter’s, 


392  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

and  St.  Apollinaris’.  He  lengthened  the  course  of 
study  for  obtaining  the  honor  of  Doctor  of  Theology 
from  eight  to  nine  years.  The  Academy  of  the  no¬ 
bility,  in  which  he  himself  had  spent  five  years,  was  to 
be  infused  with  renewed  vigor.  On  the  2d  of  Decem¬ 
ber,  1878,  he  called  into  life  an  entirely  new  scientific 
institute,  the  Academy  of  Historical-Judicial  studies, 
and  placed  it  in  charge  of  the  ablest  teachers  in  these 
branches. 

In  order  to  secure  for  his  favorite  system  a  lasting 
success,  he  appropriated  the  sum  of  300,000  francs  for 
the  purpose  of  issuing  a  new  and  complete  edition  of 
all  the  works  of  St.  Thomas,  containing  the  most  cele¬ 
brated  annotations.  It  is  indeed  a  colossal  undertak¬ 
ing  to  rebuild  the  foundations  of  Catholic  science. 
He  entrusted  its  accomplishment  by  a  Motu  Proprio , 
dated  January  10,  1880,  to  Cardinals  de  Luca,  as 
Prefect  of  Studies  ;  Simeoni,  as  Prefect  of  the  Propa¬ 
ganda  ;  and  Zigliara,  as  being  specially  acquainted 
with  the  writings  of  St.  Thomas. 

With  profound  satisfaction  Leo  XIII.  assured  the 
Cardinals  in  his  Allocution  of  December  24,  1879, 
that  his  efforts  to  promote  Christian  Philosophy  were 
respectfully  recognized  on  all  sides,  and  that  this  fact 
gave  him  hopeful  assurance  of  a  brighter  future. 

The  Popes  have  in  all  times  been  the  friends  and 
promoters  of  science,  and  Leo  XIII.  worthily  follows 
in  the  footsteps  of  his  predecessors.  The  popular 
verdict  has  designated  this  Pontificate  as  the  Pontifi¬ 
cate  of  the  scholar .* 

*  Personally  Leo  XIII.  is  a  man  of  the  most  thorough  and  liberal 
education.  His  Latin  is  a  model  of  elegance.  He  is  a  special  admirer 
of  that  most  celebrated  of  Italian  poets,  Dante  Alighieri,  who  is  at  the 
same  time  the  most  religious  of  poets,  as  he  has  clothed  in  brilliant 
verse  the  truths  of  the  faith,  in  the  spirit  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  in  his 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


393 


On  the  28th  October  Rev.  LEgidius  J linger,  who 
had  been  appointed  Bishop  of  Nesqually,  was  conse¬ 
crated.  The  new  Bishop  was  born  at  Bursheit,  near 
Aix-la-Chapelle,  where  he  made  his  first  studies.  His 
course  of  philosophy  and  theology  was  made  at  the 
American  College  attached  to  the  University  at  Lou¬ 
vain,  Belgium.  He  was  ordained  priest  on  the  Feast 
,  of  Pentecost  in  1861,  and  came  to  America  in  1862, 
arriving  at  Vancouver  on  the  eve  of  All-Hallows.  He 
was  then  sent  to  Walla  Walla,  where  he  was  the  first 
rector.  For  sixteen  years  he  was  Vicar-General  of 
the  diocese  of  Nesqually,  and  his  elevation  to  the 
Episcopate  is  hailed  with  joy  by  all  who  have  the 
pleasure  of  his  acquaintance. 

In  January,  1880,  the  Holy  Father  was  pleased  to 
transfer  Bishop  Elder,  of  Natchez,  to  Cincinnati,  where 
he  became  Coadjutor,  with  right  of  succession,  to  the 
venerable  Archbishop  Purcell,  who  was  becoming 
incapacitated  for  work  through  age  and  infirmities. 

Right  Rev.  William  Henry  Elder  was  born  at  Bal¬ 
timore,  Maryland,  in  the  year  1818.  His  pious  parents, 
believing  that  he  had  a  vocation  for  the  priesthood, 
sent  him  to  Mt.  St.  Mary’s,  Emmittsburg.  After  re¬ 
ceiving  sub-deacon’s  orders,  he  went  to  Rome,  where 
for  three  years  he  continued  his  studies  at  the  Propa¬ 
ganda,  and  was  ordained  in  1846.  After  his  return  to 

“Divine  Comedy.”  Leo  XIII.  knows  this  whole  poem  by  heart.  A 
short  time  since  one  of  his  chamberlains  handed -him  a  very  old  and 
rare  edition  of  the  works  of  the  great  poet,  purchased  for  the  Vatican 
Library.  Leo  XIII.  congratulated  him  on  this  valuable  acquisition,  and 
added  with  a  smile  :  “  I  can  recite  the  ‘  Divine  Comedy  ’  by  heart  from 
beginning  to  end;  just  try  whether  you  can  catch  me  in  a  mistake.” 
The  prelate  selected  a  number  of  passages  at  random,  but  in  no  single 
instance  did  the  Pope  fail.  From  time  to  time  he  paused,  expatiating 
on  the  beauties  of  some  of  the  verses;  then  continued  his  recital  with 
the  greatest  ease. 


394  LIFE  OF  fOPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

the  United  States,  he  was  made  Rector  of  Mt.  St. 
Mary’s,  and  also  filled  the  chair  of  Professor  of  The¬ 
ology.  In  1857  he  was  called  to  the  See  of  Natchez, 
and  there  labored  for  twenty-two  years,  endearing 
himself  to  all  by  his  devotion  to  duty.  During  the 
yellow-fever  epidemic  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1878, 
Bishop  Elder  was  untiring  in  his  efforts  to  assist  the 
sick  and  dying ;  at  last  he  yielded  to  the  dreaded  dis¬ 
ease,  and  for  some  time  lay  between  life  and  death. 
In  1879  he  was  appointed  Coadjutor,  with  right  of 
succession,  to  the  Archbishop  of  San  Francisco,  but 
modestly  declined  the  proffered  honor. 

One  of  the  last  acts  of  the  second  year  of  his  Pontifi¬ 
cate  was  the  Encyclical  of  his  Holiness  on  Marriage  and 
Divorce,  issued  on  the  10th  of  February,  1880.  In  it  he 
traces  the  history  of  marriage  from  the  earliest  days  to 
the  present  time,  and  points  out  that  the  jurisdiction  in 
this  matter  belongs  to  the  Church  and  not  to  the 
State.  He  draws  a  picture  of  the  evils  brought  on 
society  and  individuals  by  divorce,  and  contrasts  the 
action  of  the  Church  in  the  cases  of  Henry  VIII., 
Napoleon  Bonaparte,  and  others,  with  the  practice  of 
modern  legislation.  He  appeals  to  the  Heads  of  the 
Civil  Powers  to  unite  with  the  Church  at  a  time  when 
the  public  safety,  no  less  than  the  interests  of  religion, 
is  threatened  by  unbridled  license  of  manners ;  and  to 
the  Bishops  to  impress  on  their  Hocks  the  authority  of 
the  Church  in  all  matters  relating  to  marriage.  “  You 
see,”  he  writes,  “Venerable  Brethren,  that  these 
teachings  and  precepts  concerning  Christian  marriage 
which  we  have  thought  it  our  duty  to  communicate 
to  }^ou  by  the  present  letter,  apply  as  much  to  the 
preservation  of  civil  society  as  to  the  eternal  salvation 
of  men.  God  grant  that,  the  more  valuable  these 
teachings  are,  the  greater  may  be  the  docility  with 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


395 


which  they  are  received,  and  the  more  prompt  the 
submission  they  will  meet  with  in  the  minds  of  men. 
To  this  end  let  all  ardently  and  humbly  pray  for  the 
aid  of  the  Blessed  and  Immaculate  Virgin  in  order 
that,  having  inspired  submission  to  the  faith,  she  may 
aid  mankind  as  mother  and  guide.  And  let  us  with 
the  same  fervor  beseech  Peter  and  Paul,  the  Princes 
of  the  Apostles,  the  conquerors  of  superstition,  the 
sowers  of  truth,  that  the  human  race  may  be  saved  by 
their  protection  from  the  outburst  of  human  errors.” 


CHAPTER  VI. 


The  Third  Year  of  Pontificate.  The  Holy  See  and  Belgium — Arch¬ 
bishop  Heiss — Bishops  Watterson  and  Marty — Encyclical  on  SS.  Cyril  and 
Methodius — Cardinal  Jacobini  made  Secretary  of  State — Archbishops  Corri¬ 
gan  and  Feehan — Cardinal  Hassoun — Audience  with  Irish  Bishops — Bishop 
Janssens — The  Jubilee  of  1881 — Assassination  of  the  Emperor  Alexander  II. 
of  Russia — Bishops  Flasch  and  McMullen — Encyclical  on  Subjection  to  Con¬ 
stituted  Powers — Letters  of  Condolence  to  the  American  People  on  the 
Assassination  of  President  Garfield — The  Sclav  Pilgrimage — Translation  of 
the  Remains  of  Pius  IX. — Disgraceful  Riots — Allocution  of  Leo  XIII.  on  the 
Riot — Bishops  Wigger  and  O’Farrell — Canonization  of  four  New  Saints — 
Conclusion. 

On  the  27th  of  February,  1880,  a  Consistory  was 
held  in  the  Vatican,  at  which  there  was  some  little 
return  of  former  splendor,  the  Sala  Ducale  and  the 
Sistine  Chapel  being  used.  Five  Cardinals,  among 
them  the  nuncios  at  the  courts  of  Vienna,  Paris, 
Madrid,  and  Fisbon,  took  the  oaths  and  received  their 
hats. 

On  the  feast  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  March  7, 
1880,  a  most  brilliant  proof  was  given  of  the  success 
which  crowned  the  efforts  of  Leo  XIII.  to  unite  and 
strengthen  Christian  science.  It  was  the  fiftieth  anni¬ 
versary  of  the  day  on  which  he  had  received  his  title 
of  Doctor.  A  number  of  learned  Catholics,  heads  bf 
universities,  academies,  seminaries,  and  scientific  in¬ 
stitutions,  had  arranged  to  tender  him  on  this  day 
their  common  homage,  and  assure  him  of  their  deter¬ 
mination  to  muster  under  his  banner  of  Christian 
science.  Nearly  3000  persons  participated  in  this 
audience.  In  his  address,  Leo  XIII.  again  emphatic¬ 
ally  declared  that  in  the  teachings  of  St.  Thomas 


THE  TRIUMPH  OF  ST.  THOMAS.  Page  397. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  399 

Aquinas  were  to  be  found  the  resources  for  rebuilding 
the  shattered  foundations  of  society,  as  also  the  means 
for  preserving  the  unity  of  Christian  science. 

The  wonderful  triumph  of  this  great  Saint  over  the 
false  doctrines  of  pagan  philosophy  has  been  beauti¬ 
fully  commemorated  in  a  painting  of  Fillippino  Lippi, 
in  which  St.  Thomas  is  represented  as  seated  on  a 
throne,  clad  in  his  Dominican  habit,  while  grovelling 
at  his  feet  lies  Heresy.  In  the  foreground  other  fig¬ 
ures  typifying  the  false  Teachings  of  the  day  have 
thrown  away  their  books  in  token  of  defeat. 

After  the  downfall  of  the  Catholic  Ministry  in  Bel¬ 
gium,  the  new  Minister  of  Education  openly  declared 
his  intention  of  excluding  the  priests  and  the  Church 
from  State  Schools,  and  of  installing  teachers  who 
professed  no  religion,  or  rather  were  avowed  enemies 
of  religion.  Cardinal  Deschamps,  of  Malines,  adopted 
the  most  energetic  measures  of  resistance,  and  the 
Catholics  displayed  a  wonderful  strength  of  faith  and 
spirit  of  self-sacrifice ;  as  soon  as  the  law  had  been 
passed  de-Christianizing  the  schools,  they  established 
free  schools  in  all  sections  by  voluntary  contributions, 
amounting  in  a  few  months  to  millions,  and  soon  the 
majority  of  the  children  flocked  to  these  schools, 
leaving  the  State  institutions  without  pupils.  This 
prompt  action  was  anything  but  pleasing  to  the  Lib¬ 
eral  Government,  and  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs 
strove  to  induce  the  Holy  See  to  silence  the  utterances 
of  the  Belgian  Episcopate.  But  the  effort  was  in  vain, 
and  having  failed  in  its  endeavor  to  make  a  tool  of 
the  Holy  See,  and  the  sturdy  Catholics  of  Belgium 
refusing  to  accept  the  “  Secularist”  education  offered 
them,  the  Cabinet  of  Brussels  determined  to  suppress 
the  Legation  at  Rome  and  have  no  further  intercourse 
with  the  Holy  See.  Following  this  action  of  the  Lib- 


400  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

erals,  the  Holy  Father  addressed  the  Cardinal  ol 
Maiines  and  the  Belgian  Episcopate  these  consoling 
words : 

“Dear  Son  and  Venerable  Brothers,  health  and 
Apostolic  Benediction. 

“The  affectionate  letter  which,  with  common  ac¬ 
cord,  you  have  written  to  us  on  the  8th  of  this  month, 
proves  to  us  the  profound  sorrow  which  is  brought  to 
you  by  the  injury  lately  done  to  the  Holy  See  in  Bel¬ 
gium.  This  event  filled  our  soul  also  with  sadness, 
but  God  in  His  goodness  has  deigned  to  make  use  of 
you  to  send  to  us  the  words  of  consolation  of  which 
we  had  need.  That  which  consoles  us  is  to  see  you 
perfectly  united,  not  only  in  lamenting  what  has  hap¬ 
pened,  but  likewise  in  repelling  with  all  your  efforts 
the  assaults  against  the  Church,  and  it  is  the  zeal  which 
you  have  displayed  in  the  fulfilment  of  the  duties  of 
the  episcopate,  your  constant  solicitude  in  defending 
the  cause  of  religion,  the  firmness  of  your  conduct, 
tempered  by  the  spirit  of  moderation  and  of  Christian 
prudence.  Hence  we  do  not  hesitate  to  send  you  all 
those  eulogiums  which  are  due  to  you. 

“To  the  noble  example  of  your  devotion  correspond 
in  an  admirable  manner  the  sentiments  of  piety  and 
of  filial  love  of  which  the  faithful  entrusted  to  your 
vigilance  cease  not  to  give  the  most  manifest  proofs 
to  us  and  to  this  Apostolic  See.  We  see  with  joy  that 
nothing  is  sufficient  to  crush  the  courage  of  your  dio¬ 
cesans,  and  that,  on  the  contrary,  trials  animate  them 
to  a  noble  rivalry  of  ardor  in  their  great  works.  Such 
facts  sweeten  the  bitterness  of  our  affliction,  and  con¬ 
firm  our  trust  in  Divine  Providence,  and  we  exclaim 
with  the  royal  Prophet,  ‘  He  will  not  sleep,  nor  will 
He  forget  us,  He  who  guards  Israel.’  We  recur, 
then,  with  all  our  heart  to  the  God  of  patience  and  of 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  4OI 

consolation,  supplicating  Him  that  he  may  deign  to 
increase  in  you  the  spirit  of  wisdom  and  of  force,  and 
at  the  same  time  confirm  the  faithful  of  Belgium  in 
the  defence  of  religious  interests,  and  in  their  holy 
undertaking  for  the  general  good  of  the  country. 

“Addressing  to  you,  dear  Son  and  Venerable 
Brothers,  these  thanks,  which  the  fulfilment  of  your 
duties  well  deserves,  we  warmly  desire  that  you  may 
become  the  interpreters  of  our  gratitude  to  all  those 
great  Catholic  associations  which  in  such  sad  circum¬ 
stances  have  hastened  to  console  us  with  the  most 
splendid  attestations  of  devotion,  fidelity,  and  filial 
love.  Receive  at  the  same  time  for  yourselves,  for  the 
clergy  and  faithful  of  your  respective  dioceses,  our 
Apostolic  Benediction  and  the  sincere  wishes  of  all 
true  happiness,  which  we  send  you  with  our  whole 
heart  as  a  pledge  of  our  paternal  affection  in  Jesus 
Christ. 

“  Given  at  Rome,  near  St.  Peter’s,  the  27th  of  July, 
1880,  third  year  of  our  Pontificate. 

“Leo  XIII.,  P.P.” 

Later  on,  in  an  Allocution  pronounced  at  a  Con¬ 
sistory  held  August  23,  the  Holy  Father  again  re¬ 
verted  to  the  subject.  After  enumerating  the  griev¬ 
ances  of  the  Church  in  Belgium,  his  Holiness  declared 
that  he  was  prepared  to  suffer  personal  insult  on 
behalf  of  the  Holy  See,  but  that  he  would  never  allow 
the  Apostolic  dignity  of  the  Papacy  to  be  insulted, 
even  though  its  defence  might  cost  him  his  life.  The 
Sovereign  Pontiff  concluded  by  saying :  “  The  evils 
which  are  at  present  directed  against  the  Church  are 
not  circumscribed  within  the  confines  of  Belgium. 
The  insidious  war  is  further  extended,  and  more  amply 
spread  to  the  prejudice  of  Christianity,  of  which,  nev¬ 
ertheless,  it  is  not  our  intention  to  speak  at  present. 


402  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

“  Meanwhile,  it  is  necessary  to  raise  up  and  rein¬ 
vigorate  minds  with  hope  of  a  better  future,  and 
urgently  ask  by  united  prayer  of  the  Father  of  Mer¬ 
cies  and  Lord  of  all  consolation  that  He  may  finally 
deign  to  console  the  Church,  His  Spouse,  afflicted 
by  so  many  evils,  combated  by  so  many  adversities ; 
and  that,  having  calmed  the  waves  and  the  billows, 
He  may  bestow  again  the  tranquillity  sighed  after  for 
so  long  a  time.” 

At  the  same  Consistory  his  Holiness  announced  a 
number  of  Episcopal  appointments,  among  them  that 
of  Bishop  Heiss,  of  La  Crosse,  who  was  promoted  to 
an  Archbishopric,  and  made  Coadjutor,  with  right  of 
succession,  to  Archbishop  Henni,  of  Milwaukee,  since 
deceased;  Rev.  John  A.  Watterson  made  Bishop  of 
Columbus ;  and  Rev.  P.  Manogue  made  Bishop  of 
Ceramus,  and  Coadjutor  of  Grass  Valley. 

Most  Rev.  Michael  Heiss  was  born  at  Pfaldorf,  dio¬ 
cese  of  Eichstadt,  Bavaria,  April  iz,  1818.  At  the  age 
of  twenty-two  he  was  ordained  priest,  and  two  years 
later  came  to  America,  where  he  entered  upon  his 
labors  in  Ohio.  He  afterwards  moved  to  Milwaukee, 
where  he  built  St.  Mary’s  Church,  and  soon  became 
professor  in  the  Theological  Seminary  of  St.  Francis 
de  Sales,  of  which  institution  he  was  the  guiding  spirit 
for  many  years,  part  of  the  time  as  President.  In  1868 
Dr.  Heiss  was  consecrated  Bishop  of  La  Crosse,  and 
such  was  his  energy  and  zeal  that  in  1880  his  diocese 
numbered  46,000  Catholics,  with  96  churches  and  50 
priests.  He  is  recognized  as  a  learned  and  able  theo¬ 
logian,  and  is  the  author  of  more  than  one  theological 
work. 

Right  Rev.  John  A.  Watterson  is  a  native  of  Blair- 
ville,  Indiana  County,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  was 
born  May  27,  1844.  He  made  his  studies  partly  at  St. 


LIFE  OF  FOPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  403 

Vincent’s  College,  Westmoreland  County,  and  at  the 
age  of  seventeen  went  to  Mt.  St.  Mary’s,  Emmittsburg, 
where  he  graduated.  In  1868  he  was  raised  to  the 
dignity  of  the  priesthood,  but,  wishing  to  prosecute 
his  studies  still  further,  with  the  permission  of  his 
bishop,  he  returned  to  Mt.  St.  Mary’s,  where  he  sub¬ 
sequently  filled  the  chair  of  Moral  Theology  and  Sa¬ 
cred  Scripture.  In  September,  1876,  he  was  selected 
for  the  position  of  Vice-President,  and  one  year  after, 
upon  the  resignation  of  Father  McCloskey,  became 
President,  which  office  he  creditably  filled  up  to  the 
time  he  was  called  to  the  Episcopate. 

In  February  the  consecration  took  place  of  Right 
Rev.  Martin  Marty,  who  had  been  created  Bishop  of 
Tiberias,  i.  p.  i.,  and  Vicar-Apostolic  of  Dakota. 

Bishop  Marty  was  born  in  Schwyz,  Switzerland, 
January  12,  1834,  and  made  his  studies  at  the  Bene¬ 
dictine  Convent,  Einsiedln,  where  he  was  subsequent¬ 
ly  ordained,  September  14,  1856.  In  i860  he  came  to 
this  country,  and  settled  permanently  at  St.  Meinrad’s, 
Indiana,  on  the  28th  of  September.  The  prospects 
of  the  convent  were  not  bright  at  that  time,  but  owing 
to  the  exertions  of  Father  Marty  they  steadily  im¬ 
proved.  In  1865  he  was  made  Third  Prior  of  the 
convent,  and  in  1870  Pope  Pius  IX.  made  him  the 
first  Abbot.  For  sixteen  years  he  labored  as  priest, 
prior,  and  abbot,  and  numerous  churches  and  chapels 
bear  witness  to  his  zeal. 

On  the  30th  of  September  his  Holiness  addressed 
an  Encyclical  Letter  to  the  pastors  of  the  Catholic 
World,  containing  a  summary  of  the  lives  of  SS. 
Cvril  and  Methodius,  with  a  history  of  their  labors 
among  the  Slavonians.  With  a  view  to  keeping  up 
and  extending  more  widely  the  Catholic  Apostolate 
among  those  people,  and  that  the  devotion  towards 


404 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


the  two  Apostles  of  Slavonia  may  be  developed  still 
more,  the  Holy  Father  ordained  that  the  5th  ol  July, 
the  Feast  of  SS.  Cyril  and  Methodius  with  Offices 
and  Mass  of  Double  Minor  Rite,  be  celebrated  by  the 
Universal  Church.  Finally,  he  exhorted  the  Bishops 
and  all  the  faithful  to  intercede  with  the  holy  Apostles 
of  Slavonia  that  they  might  obtain  from  the  Most  High 
the  preservation  of  the  true  faith  in  the  East,  and  the 
return  of  schismatics  and  dissidents  into  the  bosom  of 
the  Church. 

His  Eminence  Cardinal  Nina  having,  in  conse¬ 
quence  of  his  failing  health,  repeatedly  asked  the  Holy 
Father  to  relieve  him  from  the  onerous  office  of  Sec¬ 
retary  of  State,  his  request  was  at  last  acceded  to, 
and  Cardinal  Jacobini  was  appointed  to  succeed 
him. 

His  Eminence  Cardinal  Ludovico  Jacobini  was 
born  at  Albano,  May  6,  1832.  The  late  Sovereign 
Pontiff,  Pope  Pius  IX.,  recognizing  his  worth,  con¬ 
ferred  many  honors  on  him,  and  when,  in  1874,  the 
Papal  Nuncio  at  Vienna  withdrew,  Monsignor  Jaco- 
bmi  was  appointed  to  succeed  him.  Though  a  posi¬ 
tion  of  no  little  difficulty,  he  filled  it  with  honor  both 
to  himself  and  the  Idoly  See.  After  his  creation  as 
Cardinal,  in  1879,  it  was  thought  proper  that  he  should 
remain  in  Vienna,  in  order  to  carry  on  the  negotia¬ 
tions  commenced  some  time  previously  with  Germany 
and  Russia  to  regulate  the  new  ecclesiastical  arrange¬ 
ments  for  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina.  As  a  result  of 
these  negotiations  the  preliminary  agreements  be¬ 
tween  Russia  and  the  Holy  See  were  signed  in  Octo¬ 
ber.  The  agreements  contained  various  articles  rela¬ 
tive  to  the  nomination  of  Bishops,  to  the  arrangement 
of  many  Episcopal  Sees,  and  others  regarding  the 
liberty  of  Bishops  in  directing  Catholic  seminaries  and 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  40$ 

the  education  of  the  young  clergy.  Cardinal  Jacobini 
also  conducted  to  such  successful  issue  the  negotia¬ 
tions  with  Germany,  that  in  August,  1881,  with  the 
consent  of  the  German  Government,  a  Bishop  was 
appointed  to  Treves,  in  the  person  of  Dr.  Korum,  of 
Strasburg.  This  was  the  first  Episcopal  appointment 
to  a  Prussian  See  made  since  the  promulgation  of  the 
May  laws.  It  was  indeed  a  great  triumph  for  the 
Holy  See,  and  may  be  looked  upon  as  the  beginning 
of  the  end  of  the  wretched  conflict  which  for  eight 
years  had  been  waged  against  the  Church. 

An  event  in  which  American  Catholics  naturally 
take  great  pleasure  and  pride  was  the  appointment 
of  Right  Rev.  Michael  Augustine  Corrigan,  Bishop 
of  Newark,  as  Coadjutor  Archbishop,  with  the  right 
of  succession  to  his  Eminence  Cardinal  McCloskey, 
Archbishop  of  New  York.  Most  Rev.  Dr.  Corrigan 
was  born  at  Newark,  in  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  of 
Irish  parents,  on  August  13,  1839.  He  was  educated 
at  Mt.  St.  Mary’s  College,  Emmittsburg,  where  he 
graduated  in  1859  with  high  honors.  This  same  year 
the  American  College  at  Rome  was  opened,  and  Dr. 
Corrigan  with  twelve  other  students  were  the  first 
pupils  of  this  now-flourishing  institution.  On  the  19th 
September,  1863,  he  was  ordained,  and  in  July  of  the 
following  year  returned  home,  carrying  with  him  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity.  Archbishop  Bayley, 
then  Bishop  of  Newark,  at  once  appointed  him  Pro¬ 
fessor  of  Dogmatic  Theology  and  Sacred  Scripture  in 
Seton  Hall  Seminary,  and  not  long  after  he  was  made 
director  of  the  Seminary  and  Vice-President  of  the 
College.  Four  years  later  he  became  President  of 
the  College  and  Vicar-General  of  the  diocese,  and 
when  the  bishop  was  promoted  to  the  Archiepiscopal 
See  of  Baltimore,  Dr.  Corrigan  was  chosen  to  fill  his 


40 6  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

place.  That  he  may  long  live  to  enjoy  his  well-de¬ 
served  honors  is  the  wish  of  all  who  know  him. 

At  the  same  Consistory  in  which  Archbishop  Cor¬ 
rigan  was  transferred  to  New  York,  his  Holiness  was 
pleased  to  elevate  the  Church  of  Chicago  to  an  arch¬ 
diocese,  and  to  appoint  the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  of 
Nashville  as  Archbishop. 

The  Most  Rev.  Patrick  A.  Feehan  was  born  at 
Graystown,  County  Tipperary,  Ireland,  in  1829.  As 
he  evinced  at  an  early  age  a  strong  desire  to  enter  the 
priesthood,  he  was  sent  by  his  parents  to  the  prepara¬ 
tory  school  at  Castle  Knock.  From  there  he  went  to 
Maynooth,  and  though  thrown  in  competition  with 
some  of  the  brightest  youthful  minds  of  the  land,  he 
proved  himself  of  far  more  than  ordinary  ability  by 
carrying  off  the  Dunboyne  prize,  which  consists  of  a 
scholarship  worth  $1000  a  year,  besides  other  privi¬ 
leges  dear  to  the  student,  and  is  one  of  the  principal 
incentives  offered  by  the  institution  to  encourage  its 
students  to  exertion.  Had  he  remained  in  Ireland  he 
would  doubtless  have  met  with  promotion,  but  he  had 
early  determined  on  sharing  the  lot  of  the  priesthood 
in  Western  America,  and  in  compliance  with  this  wish 
he  was  sent  from  college  to  the  Archiepiscopal  See  of 
St.  Louis.  Here  he  was  ordained  in  1852,  and  was 
assigned  to  the  Ecclesiastical  Seminary  for  boys  at 
Carondelet,  now  South  St.  Louis.  This  position  he 
filled  with  entire  satisfaction  until,  in  pursuance  of  his 
wish  to  follow  the  active  work  of  saving  souls,  he  was 
appointed  to  the  Church  of  the  Immaculate  Concep¬ 
tion  at  St.  Louis,  where  he  remained  seven  years, 
winning  the  respect  and  admiration  of  his  ecclesiasti¬ 
cal  superiors,  and  the  love  of  his  flock.  When,  in 
1865,  a  vacancy  occurred  in  the  diocese  of  Nashville, 
Father  Feehan  was  urged  for  the  place.  He  was 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  40 7 

unwilling  to  accept,  and  it  was  only  at  the  earnest 
solicitation  of  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  of  St.  Louis 
that  he  consented  to  assume  the  charge.  For  fifteen 
years  he  was  in  charge  of  the  diocese,  and  during  that 
time,  by  his  great  ability  and  attention  to  business,  was 
enabled  to  discharge  a  debt  of  $100,000,  besides  build¬ 
ing  an  orphan  asylum  at  a  cost  of  $40,000.  Like  all 
good  and  great  men  he  is  distinguished  for  his  love 
of  children.  In  1878,  when  the  yellow-fever  was  rag¬ 
ing  at  Memphis,  Bishop  Feehan,  mindful  of  the  prom¬ 
ise  of  our  Lord,  “  He  that  shall  receive  one  little 
child  in  my  name,  receiveth  me,”  had  the  orphans  in 
the  asylums  at  that  place  removed  to  Nashville,  and 
in  consequence  only  two  out  of  a  great  number  died. 

While  remembering  our  own  distant  land,  the  Holy 
Father  was  not  unmindful  of  his  long-suffering  chil¬ 
dren  in  the  East.  We  have  had  evidence  of  this  in 
his  efforts  to  secure  the  free  exercise  of  their  religion 
to  the  Catholics  of  Bosnia  and  Bulgaria,  and  in  his 
Encyclical  on  the  devotion  to  SS.  Cyril  and  Metho¬ 
dius.  As  an  additional  proof  of  his  paternal  care,  in 
a  Consistory  held  December  13  he  created  Mgr.  An¬ 
tonio  Hassoun,  Patriarch  of  Cilicia  of  the  Armenians, 
a  Cardinal  of  the  Floly  Roman  Church. 

Cardinal  Hassoun,  the  first  of  his  nation  who  has 
been  raised  to  the  honor  of  the  Roman  purple,  was 
born  at  Constantinople  on  the  1 6th  of  July,  1800,  and 
was  educated  at  the  Urban  College  in  Rome,  where 
he  took  his  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  with  high 
honors.  In  1842  he  was  consecrated  Archbishop  of 
Anazarba,  i.p.i.,  and  named  Coadjutor  with  right  of 
succession  to  Monsignor  Marusei  ;  and  in  1845  he 
succeeded  the  latter  as  Armenian  Primate  of  the  eccle¬ 
siastical  province  of  Constantinople.  In  1867  he  was 
promoted  to  be  Armenian  Patriarch  of  Cilicia,  under 


408  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

the  name  of  Antony-Peter  IX.  Since  then  he  has 
been  indefatigable  in  his  endeavors  to  reconcile  to  the 
Church  the  separated  Christians  of  the  East.  For  a 
time  he  was  banished  from  Constantinople  through  a 
diplomatic  intrigue,  but  finally  better  days  dawned 
for  the  Armenian  Catholics.  Governmental  support 
decayed,  certain  diplomatic  influences  vanished,  and 


CARDINAL  HASSOUN. 


the  grace  of  God  did  the  rest.  Mgr.  Hassoun  was 
not  only  recalled  from  exile,  but  even  the  Sultan  him¬ 
self  heaped  honors  and  favors  upon  him.  Cardinal 
Hassoun  is  distinguished  among  the  members  of  the 
Sacred  College  by  his  beard,  he  being  the  onlv  beard¬ 
ed  Cardinal  who  has  graced  that  body  since  the  death 
of  the  Capuchin,  Cardin’al  Recanati. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  4O9 

On  the  10th  of  November,  the  Holy  Father  received 
in  audience  the  Irish  Bishops  of  Cashel  and  Emly, 
Limerick,  Cloyne,  Kerry,  and  Ross.  In  reply  to  a 
remark  of  his  Holiness  in  regard  to  the  land  agitation 
in  Ireland  and  the  disorders  which,  according  to  rumor, 
followed  in  its  train,  the  patriotic  Dr.  Croke  said  that 
these  disorders  had  been  much  exaggerated  by  inter¬ 
ested  parties,  and  that  the  agitation  was  altogether 
constitutional.  Catholic  Emancipation,  the  Tithe  Re¬ 
form,  the  Reform  of  the  Corn  Laws,  and  all  other  great 
reforms  had  been  brought  about  by  agitation ;  and  they 
earnestly  hoped  by  the  same  means  of  legal  and  con¬ 
stitutional  agitation  to  procure  an  Irish  Land  Bill 
which  would  give  security  in  their  holdings  to  the 
Irish  people,  and,  at  the  same  time,  would  give  satis¬ 
faction  to  all  parties.  “  Two  things,”  said  the  Holy 
Lather,  “  weigh  much  upon  my  mind  and  are  all 
important  in  this  question.  The  first  is  the  preserva¬ 
tion  of  the  Catholic  faith  among  the  Irish  people. 
Upon  this  point,”  continued  his  Holiness,  “  I  confess 
I  have  the  less  anxiety,  for  the  past  history  of  Ireland 
is  a  pledge  for  the  future,  and  1  have  no  fear  that  the 
Irish,  who  have  preserved  their  faith  through  cen¬ 
turies  of  misfortune,  will  ever  abandon  it.  The  second 
is  the  union  of  the  Bishops  and  clergy  with  their 
people,  and  the  imperative  necessity  that  no  revolu¬ 
tionary  principles  should  be  introduced  or  allowed  to 
take  root  among  them.” 

To  this  the  Bishops  replied  that  there  was  no  ques¬ 
tion  of  revolution  at  present  in  Ireland,  and  that  no 
communistic  or  socialist  principles  prevailed  among 
the  Irish  people.  The  Bishops  sought  for  nothing 
except  what  could  be  obtained  by  legal  and  constitu¬ 
tional  means.  They  desired  to  impress  upon  the 
British  Government  the  necessity  of  making  a  sub- 


4io 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


stantial  change  in  the  relations  between  landlords  and 
tenants — relations  which  have  proved  so  disastrous  to 
Ireland  in  the  past.  The  Pope  again  dwelt  on  the 
importance  of  preserving  union  between  the  clergy 


ARCHBISHOT  CROKE. 


and  people  so  as  to  exclude  all  revolutionary  princi¬ 
ples.  The  audience  was  extremely  animated. 

On  the  20th  of  November,  the  Holy  Father  granted 
a  second  and  farewell  audience  to  these  Bishops,  in 
which  he  seemed  to  be,  if  possible,  more  cordial  and 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  41 1 

even  affectionate  to  them  than  on  the  first  occasion. 
Most  Rev.  Dr.  Croke  assured  his  Holiness  that  his 
words  at  the  first  audience  relating  to  the  connection 
between  priest  and  people  had  caused  a  thrill  of  joy 
and  satisfaction  in  every  Irish  heart.  The  Holy 
Father,  in  reply,  said  that  he  loved  Ireland,  and  was 
deeply  grateful  for  all  the  substantial  marks  of  affec¬ 
tion  she  had  shown  him,  and  he  hoped,  from  time  to 
time,  to  raise  his  voice  in  her  favor,  and,  if  necessary, 
in  her  defence.  After  receiving  the  Apostolic  Bene¬ 
diction,  the  Bishops  withdrew. 

Two  months  later,  on  the  3d  of  January,  1881,  his 
Holiness  addressed  a  letter  to  the  Archbishop  of  Dub¬ 
lin,  in  which  he  again  avows  his  love  and  admiration 
for  Ireland,  and  delivers  this  deserved  and  magnificent 
panegyric  on  her  people  :  “  We  greatly  commend  their 
virtue,  which  adversity  so  profoundly  tries;  and  that 
not  for  a  short  interval  of  time,  but  already  for  cen¬ 
turies  and  ages.  With  supreme  fortitude  and  con¬ 
stancy  they  have  chosen  to  endure  all  sufferings 
rather  than  forsake,  even  in  the  least  point,  the  faith 
of  their  fathers  and  their  ancient  fidelity  to  this  Apos¬ 
tolic  See.  It  is,  moreover,  their  singular  glory,  en¬ 
during  even  to  this  day,  that  the  noblest  examples  of 
all  other  virtues  have  never  been  wanting  among 
them.” 

On  the  19th  of  February,  Pope  Leo  XIII.  appointed 
Very  Rev.  F.  Janssens  Vicar-General  of  the  Diocese 
of  Richmond,  Bishop  of  Natchez,  which  see  was  vacant 
by  reason  of  the  removal  of  Bishop  Elder  to  Cincin¬ 
nati. 

Father  Janssens  was  born  in  the  old  town  of  Til¬ 
burg,  in  Nord  Brabant,  Holland,  on  October  17,  1843. 
When  thirteen  years  of  age  he  entered  the  Diocesan 
Petit  Seminaire,  and  after  remaining  there  six  years, 


412  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

entered  the  Grand  Seminary  of  Bois-le-Duc,  where  he 
completed  his  course  of  philosophy  and  made  besides 
two  years  of  Theology.  In  1866  he  passed  to  the 
American  College,  Louvain,  where  he  was  ordained 
priest,  on  the  21st  December  of  the  following  year. 
He  arrived  in  Richmond,  Va.,  in  September,  1868, 
and  remained  there  in  different  capacities  until  the 
appointment  of  Right  Rev.  John  J.  Keane  as  Bishop, 
who  appointed  him  Vicar-General,  and  made  him  his 
constant  adviser. 

On  the  12th  of  March,  1881,  the  Holy  Father  pub¬ 
lished  an  Apostolic  Letter,  in  which  he  proclaimed  a 
general  Jubilee.  While  every  Catholic  heart  was  glad¬ 
dened  at  the  favors  thus  bestowed  on  them,  their  joy 
was  somewhat  marred  by  the  tone  of  sadness  in  which 
the  Sovereign  Pontiff  speaks  of  the  gradual  weaken¬ 
ing  of  authority,  and  of  his  inability  to  remedy  the 
evil,  for,  as  he  says :  “We  are  more  truly  in  the  power 
of  our  enemies  than  our  own,  and  that  very  exercise 
of  liberty  which  is  granted  us,  since  it  can  be  taken 
away  or  diminished  at  the  will  of  another,  has  no 
foundation  of  stability  and  constancy.  In  the  mean¬ 
while  it  is  manifest  by  the  daily  experience  of  things 
that  the  contagion  of  evils  creeps  more  and  more 
through  the  rest  of  the  body  of  the  Christian  State, 
and  is  propagated  among  more  persons.  For  the  na¬ 
tions  estranged  from  the  Church  are  daily  falling  into 
greater  miseries ;  and  where  the  Catholic  faith  has 
once  been  extinguished  or  weakened,  the  road  is  nigh 
to  madness  of  opinions  and  desire  for  novelties.  But 
as  soon  as  the  supreme  and  august  authority  of  him 
■who  is  God’s  vicar  on  earth  is  despised,  it  is  clear  that 
human  authority  has  no  checks  left  sufficient  to  re¬ 
strain  the  untamed  spirits  of  the  rebellious,  or  to  con¬ 
trol  in  the  multitude  the  ardor  of  unlicensed  liberty.’ 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  413 

The  Holy  Father,  therefore,  according-  to  the  cus¬ 
tom  and  practice  of  his  predecessors,  called  upon  all 
the  faithful  to  turn  to  God  in  prayer  and  penance  both 
for  themselves  and  for  the  Church,  that  thereby  their 
prayers  may  be  heard  also  for  the  Christian  world. 
The  ink  had  scarcely  dried  on  the  words  of  warning 
issued  by  the  Sovereign  Pontiff  when  the  world  was 
startled  by  the  news  of  the  assassination  of  Alexander 

II. ,  Emperor  of  Russia.  Truly  prophetic  were  the 
utterances  of  the  Holy  Father,  that  “human  authority 
has  no  checks  left  sufficient  to  restrain  the  untamed 
spirits  of  the  rebellious.”  Immediately  on  hearing  of 
the  assassination,  his  Holiness  sent  the  Cardinal  Sec¬ 
retary  of  State  to  the  two  Russian  Princes  then  in 
Rome  to  assure  them  of  his  unfeigned  regret  at  the 
sad  occurrence.  He  also  despatched  a  telegram  to 
the  Emperor  Alexander  III.,  expressing  his  sorrow, 
and  manifesting  his  good  wishes  for  the  prosperity 
and  happiness  of  the  new  occupant  of  the  throne  of 
Russia.  An  answer  was  shortly  afterwards  received 
conveying  the  grateful  acknowledgment  of  Alexander 

III.  for  the  solicitude  of  his  Holiness. 

To  fill  the  vacancy  in  the  See  of  La  Crosse  made 
by  the  promotion  of  Archbishop  Heiss,  the  Holy 
Father,  by  a  Brief  dated  June  16,  appointed  as 
Bishop,  Rev.  Ivilian.  C.  Flasch,  the  President  of  the 
Seminary  of  St.  Francis  of  Sales,  Milwaukee.  Right 
Rev.  Bishop  Flasch  was  born  at  Retzstadt,  diocese 
of  Wurzburg,  Bavaria,  on  the  9th  of  July,  1831. 
He  came  to  this  country  in  1847,  and  settled  perma¬ 
nently  in  Wisconsin.  He  early  felt  an  inclination 
for  the  priesthood,  but  it  was  not  until  1853  that  he 
was  enabled  to  enter  the  Seminary  of  St.  Francis, 
then  just  established  by  Father  Heiss,  the  present 
Archbishop  of  Milwaukee.  Three  years  later  he  was 


414  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


ordained  priest.  For  one  year  he  was  on  the  mission, 
but  in  i860  he  returned  to  the  Seminary  as  a  pro¬ 
fessor.  Here  he  remained  until  1867,  when  he  was 
obliged  to  leave  on  account  of  ill-health.  He  took 
charge  of  the  congregation,  convent,  and  orphan  asy¬ 
lum  of  the  School  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame,  at  Elm 
Grove,  as  also  of  the  County  Poor  House  near  Wau¬ 
watosa.  The  beautiful  church  in  honor  of  the  “  Visi¬ 
tation  of  Our  Lady,”  connected  with  the  convent  at 
Elm  Grove,  was  built  by  him.  In  the  mean  time  his 
health  improved,  and  his  Bishop  and  friends  wished  to 
have  him  return  to  St.  Francis’s  Seminary,  for  which 
place  he  was  so  eminently  qualified.  At  last,  in  1875, 
he  consented  once  more  to  connect  himself  with  St. 
Francis.  He  assumed  the  Professorship  of  Moral 
Theology,  and  at  the  same  time  the  spiritual  director¬ 
ship  of  the  students.  In  these  important  charges  he 
continued  until  the  fall  of  1879,  when  he  was  promoted 
to  the  Rectorship  of  the  whole  institution. 

On  the  same  day — June  16th — the  Sovereign  Pon¬ 
tiff  named  Rev.  Dr.  John  McMullen  Bishop  of  the 
newly-created  diocese  of  Davenport.  Bishop  McMul¬ 
len  was  born  March  8,  1833,  in  the  town  of  Ballana- 
hinch,  in  the  County  of  Down,  in  the  North  of  Ireland. 
The  family  removed  to  America  in  1837,  and  settled 
for  a  time  m  Lower  Canada,  afterwards  removing  to 
Chicago  T  he  future  Bishop,  a  short  time  after  the 
arrival  01  tne  family,  entered  college,  and  graduated 
with  high  honors  in  1853,  when  in  the  twenty-first  year 
of  his  age.  In  the  same  year  he  went  to  Rome,  where 
he  entered  the  College  of  the  Propaganda.  Here  he 
spent  two  years  in  the  philosophical  course,  and  three 
years  in  the  theological  course.  In  1858  he  was  or¬ 
dained  a  priest,  and  received  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Divinity.  In  the  same  year,  in  August,  he  returned 


LIFE  OF  POFE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  415 


to  Chicago,  and  was  appointed  the  pastor  of  St.  Louis’ 
Church.  He  became  President  of  the  University  of 
the  Lady  of  the  Lake,  which  he  had  built  in  1861,  re¬ 
moved  to  Wilmington,  111.,  in  1869,  and  was  recalled 
to  Chicago  by  Bishop  Foley  in  1870,  and  was  by  him 
appointed  administrator  of  the  diocese.  The  newly- 
created  bishopric  of  Davenport  is  cut  from  the  great 
diocese  of  Dubuque,  which  has  hitherto  included  the 
whole  State  of  Iowa,  now  the  tenth  State  in  the  Union 
in  population. 

On  the  29th  of  June  Pope  Leo  XIII.  issued  an  En¬ 
cyclical  Letter  on  the  duty  of  subjection  to  constituted 
Powers.  As  in  the  case  of  his  Apostolic  Letter  of 
January  3d,  this  was  most  opportune,  for  humanity 
had  only  just  recovered  from  the  shock  occasioned  by 
the  assassination  of  the  Russian  Emperor,  when  it  was 
called  to  lament  another  terrib'e  calamity  in  the  mur¬ 
der  of  the  President  of  the  United  States.  How  the 
whole  civilized  world  united  in  expressions  of  sorrow 
and  of  loathing  for  the  dastardly  deed  is  now  a  mat¬ 
ter  of  history.  As  soon  as  the  news  reached  Rome, 
the  heart  of  the  Holy  Father  went  out  to  our  afflicted 
people  in  the  following  words  of  sympathy  and  of 
comfort : 


“Rome,  Aug.  15,  1881. 

“  Hon.  James  G.  Blaine ,  Secretary  of  State,  Washington  : 

“  As  the  Holy  Father  learned  with  painful  surprise 
and  profound  sorrow  of  the  horrid  attempt  of  which 
the  President  of  the  Republic  was  the  victim,  so  now 
he  is  happy  to  felicitate  his  Excellency  upon  the  news 
that  his  precious  life  is  now  out  of  danger,  and  will 
ever  pray  that  God  may  grant  him  speedy  and  com¬ 
plete  recovery  of  his  health,  and  long  spare  him  to  the 
benefit  of  the  United  States.  The  undersigned  has  the 


41 6  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

honor  to  join  in  these  sentiments  of  sincere  congratu¬ 
lations,  wishes  for  complete  recovery. 

“  L.  Cardinal  Jacobini.” 

In  reply  to  which  the  Secretary  of  State,  while 
thanking  his  Holiness  for  the  attention,  paid  a  fervent 
tribute  to  the  loyalty  and  devotion  of  American  Cath¬ 
olics,  as  will  be  seen  by  his  dispatch : 

“  Washington,  Aug.  22. 

“  To  his  Eminence  L.  Cardinal  Jacobini ,  Rome  : 

“  Please  convey  to  his  Holiness  the  sincere  thanks 
with  which  this  Government  receives  the  kind  expres¬ 
sion  of  his  prayerful  interest  in  behalf  of  our  stricken 
President.  Since  your  message  was  sent  the  Presi¬ 
dent’s  condition  has  been  changed,  and  we  are  now 
filled  with  anxiety,  but  not  without  hope.  The  Presi¬ 
dent  has  been  very  deeply  touched  by  the  pious  inter¬ 
est  for  his  recovery  shown  by  all  churches,  but  by 
none  more  widely  or  more  devoutly  than  by  those  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  communion. 

“James  G.  Blaine,  Secretary  of  State.” 

The  hope  so  earnestly  expressed  by  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff  was  not  to  be  realized,  and  when  after  weary 
days  of  suffering  the  gallant  President  succumbed  to 
his  wound,  the  following  correspondence  passed  be¬ 
tween  Rome  and  our  Government : 

“  Rome,  Sept.  22,  1881. 

“  To  his  Excellency ,  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs, 
Washington  : 

“The  loss  of  the  illustrious  President  of  the  United 
States,  James  A.  Garfield,  caused  deep  sorrow  to  the 
Holy  Father.  His  Holiness  directs  me  to  present  his 
condolence  to  your  Excellency  and  to  the  Govern- 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  417 


ment,  and  his  best  wishes  for  the  prosperity  of  the 
Republic.  L.  Cardinal  Jacobini.” 

“  Department  of  State,  ) 
“Washington,  Sept.  22,  1881.  J 

“  To  his  Eminence ,  Cardinal  Jacobini ,  Rome : 

“  The  considerate  and  comprehensive  expression 
of  sympathy  from  his  Holiness  is  very  grateful  to  the 
bereaved  family  of  the  late  President,  and  in  their 
name,  and  in  behalf  of  this  Government,  I  return  pro¬ 
found  thanks.  Blaine,  Secretary  of  State.” 

As  the  5th  of  July  approached,  some  1300  Sclav 
pilgrims  began  to  assemble  in  the  Eternal  City,  not 
only  to  celebrate  the  feast  of  their  patron  saints,  Cyril 
and  Methodius,  but  to  show  their  gratitude  to  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff  for  having  extended  the  observance 
of  the  feast  to  the  whole  Church.  The  Sclavs  live 
partly  in  Turkey,  partly  in  Austria,  partly  in  Russia, 
partly  in  Germany,  and  even  some  are  to  be  found  in 
Italy.  They  are  not  a  nation,  but  a  race,  and  extend 
from  the  river  Elbe  to  the  Volga,  and  from  the  Baltic 
Sea  to  the  Mediterranean.  Among  those  assembled 
in  Rome,  the  Poles  under  the  dominion  of  the  Czar 
were  alone  unrepresented,  and  these  from  no  fault  of 
their  own. 

On  the  3d  of  July  the  ceremonies  attending  the 
pilgrimage  began  in  the  ancient  church  of  St.  Clement, 
and  were  continued  for  four  days.  On  the  5th,  be¬ 
tween  half-past  twelve  and  one  o’clock,  the  pilgrims 
were  received  in  audience  by  the  Holy  Father  in  the 
“  Cena”  Hall.  The  scene  here  presented  was  truly 
magnificent.  His  Holiness  was  seated  on  his  throne, 
surrounded  by  the  scarlet-robed  Cardinals.  Along 
either  side  of  the  hall  were  ranged  the  pilgrims  in 
their  national  costumes ;  those  of  the  nobles  rich  and 


41 8  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

costly,  while  the  peasants  were  some  in  long  linen 
coats,  others  in  white  linen  jackets  with  scarlet  sleeves. 
The  women  wore  handkerchiefs  of  the  brightest  col¬ 
ors  on  their  heads,  arranged  in  a  semi-Oriental  fashion. 
The  men  were  above  the  average  stature,  and  many 
who  were  well  on  in  years  had  magnificent  beards  of 
snowy  whiteness.  Many  of  the  clergy,  too,  wore 
flowing  beards  and  berrettas,  like  those  worn  by  the 
Greek  clergy.  As  if  to  add  effect  to  the  spectacle, 
the  Swiss  Guards,  with  halberds  and  helmets,  in  their 
black  and  yellow  uniforms,  kept  a  passage  open  down 
the  centre  of  the  hall,  standing  at  the  distance  of  a 
yard  apart. 

In  answer  to  the  written  address  of  the  pilgrims, 
which  was  read  by  Bishop  Strossmayer,  the  Holy  Fa¬ 
ther  said,  in  welcome  :  “  Beloved  sons,  your  presence 
has  been  expected  and  desired  in  this  city  of  Rome, 
which  is  at  the  head  of  the  Catholic  world,  and  our 
paternal  heart  exults  and  rejoices  so  greatly  that  we 
say  to  you,  as  the  Apostle  St.  Paul  said  to  Titus, 
‘  God  has  greatly  comforted  us  by  your  coming.’  ” 
Concluding,  he  said :  “  May  your  return  to  your 
country  be  happy  ;  you  will  tell  your  brothers  what 
you  have  heard  and  seen  at  Rome.  You  will  tell 
them  that  we  embrace  all  those  great  and.  generous 
nations  of  the  Sclavonic  name  with  our  paternal  affec¬ 
tion,  and  that  we  desire  nothing  better  for  them  than 
to  see  them  adhere  with  invincible  faith  to  the  Catho¬ 
lic  Church,  so  that,  preserved  in  that  holy  ark,  they 
may  escape  the  Deluge.  Convey  to  them  also  that 
Apostolic  Benediction  which  we  affectionately  accord 
to  you  one  and  all.”  Then  followed  the  presentation 
of  the  chief  men,  the  delivery  of  gifts,  and  finally  the 
exit  of  his  Holiness  in  grand  procession,  amid  the 
vociferous  applause  of  the  delighted  pilgrims. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  419 

It  will  be  remembered  that  in  the  last  will  of  Pius 
IX.  he  requested  that  his  body  should  be  interred  in 
the  church  of  San  Lorenzo,  outside  the  walls.  On  the 
night  of  Tuesday,  July  12,  the  hallowed  remains  of 
the  beloved  Pontiff  were  taken  down  from  their  tem¬ 
porary  resting-place  in  St.  Peter’s,  and  removed  in 
solemn  procession  to  the  grave  which  he  had  selected. 
One  not  acquainted  with  the  depths  of  indecency  to 
which  the  Italian  descends  when  he  has  once  aban¬ 
doned  the  restraints  of  conscience,  would  suppose 
that  any  demonstration  which  might  take  place  would 
be  one  of  respect  for  the  memory  of  the  dead.  What 
did  happen  may  best  be  told  in  the  words  of  his  Emi¬ 
nence,  Cardinal  Manning: 

“The  other  night  when  the  bells  tolled  midnight 
there  was  a  procession  in  the  Holy  City — in  the  city 
that  once  was  the  city  of  the  martyrs  and  the  saints 
and  the  Vicar  of  Jesus  Christ,  but  which  is  now 
usurped  by  an  anti-Christian  faction,  who  call  to  mind 
what  the  prophet  says  of  ‘  a  nest  of  unclean  birds.’ 
In  the  midnight— in  the  silence  of  the  midnight— 
there  went  forth  from  the  great  basilica  of  St.  Peter’s 
the  noblest  funeral  that  the  eye  of  man  had  ever  seen. 
The  sacred  body  of  the  Vicar  of  Jesus  Christ— Pius 
IX.  of  holy  and  blessed  memory — was  borne  out  by 
his  loving  sons  to  be  laid  in  that  tomb  which  he  had 
chosen  for  himself  in  the  basilica  of  San  Lorenzo, 
lying  under  the  altar  in  the  midst  of  the  martyrs. 
And  when  that  procession  went  forth  into  the  streets 
there  broke  forth  the  illumination  of  a  thousand 
torches — a  testimony  of  the  love  and  faith  which 
filled  the  hearts  of  those  who  accompanied  him  to  lay 
him  in  the  tomb  of  his  choice.  Nothing  sweeter, 
nothing  more  solemn,  nothing  more  noble,  nothing 
more  innocent  than  that  funeral  procession  can  the 


420  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

heart  of  man  conceive,  and  yet  against  it  there  was 
an  outburst  of  hellish  hate,  of  infernal  insult — the 
true  outcome  from  the  mouth  of  that  old  serpent  who 
hates  the  incarnate  God  and  the  Vicar  that  reigns  m 
His  place.  And  along  the  whole  pathway  of  that 
funeral  procession  not  only  insults  of  a  kind  so  gross, 
that  even  among  savage  men  they  could  not  be  found, 
were  used  against  it,  but  language  of  such  vileness 
that  irrational  minds  would  be  incapable  of  using  it, 
and  reasonable  man  alone,  when  he  is  disfigured  from 
the  likeness  of  God  into  the  image  of  Satan,  can  con¬ 
ceive  and  utter.  Yet  Pius  IX.,  though  dead,  yet 
speaketh.  Ide  speaks  of  the  undying  and  implacable 
hostility  between  the  serpent  and  his  seed  and  the 
Incarnate  Son  of  God  -and  all  who  serve  Him.  And 
he  speaks,  to  us,  in  that  last,  lonely,  and  sweet  proces¬ 
sion,  going,  like  our  Divine  Lord  to  the  Cross,  in  the 
midst  of  the  insults  of  men,  of  the  faith,  the  fidelity, 
the  courage,  and  the  perseverance  which  overcome 
the  scorn  of  the  world.  There  never  was  an  event  in 
our  times  which,  I  believe,  has  manifested  and  will 
manifest  three  things  more  strikingly  than  that  pro¬ 
cession  :  First,  the  love  and  faith  of  the  true  Roman 
people  as  distinguished  from  those  who  have  come, 
like  an  unclean  flood,  into  the  streets  of  the  city  ;  next, 
the  shame  and  humiliation  of  the  anti-Christian  fac¬ 
tion  which  made  war  for  more  than  thirty  years  upon 
the  living  Pontiff,  and  which  has  not  spared  even 
execration  and  insult  to  his  body  as  it  was  being  borne 
to  the  tomb;  and,  lastly,  the  abhorrence  and  indigna¬ 
tion  of  the  whole  Christian  world — not  the  Catholic 
Avorld  only,  but  the  Christian  world — and  every  heart 
— and  every  man  that  is  worthy  of  the  name  of  man — 
will  detest  and  abhor  and  denounce  that  most  unholy 
and  horrible  sacrilege.” 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  42 1 

The  disgraceful  conduct  of  the  evil-disposed,  as 
well  as  the  indifference  of  the  Government,  cannot  be 
called  isolated  facts ;  they  constitute  a  great  event, 
well  calculated  to  bring  to  light  the  real  condition  to 
which  the  Pope  is  reduced  in  Rome  by  the  revolution 
now  reigning  there.  No  wonder  that  his  Holiness 
Leo  XIII.  considered  it  his  duty  to  raise  his  voice  in 
condemnation  of  such  deeds,  and  in  protestation  of  the 
outraged  dignity  of  the  Papacy.  He  did  so  in  the 
form  customary  with  the  Popes  under  similar  circum¬ 
stances,  that  is,  assembling  the  Cardinals  in  consistory, 
addressing  to  them  an  allocution.  It  deserves  to  be 
transcribed  entire  in  these  pages,  but  we  shall  confine 
ourselves  to  that  portion  which  relates  to  the  inter¬ 
ment  of  Pius  IX. : 

“We  have  hastened  to  convoke  around  Us  your 
august  College,  V enerable  Brethren,  in  order  that  the 
provision  which  We  are  obliged  to  make  for  some 
churches  may  afford  Us  an  opportunity  of  opening 
Our  soul  to  you,  and  sharing  with  you  the  sorrow 
with  which  We  have  recently  been  oppressed,  on  ac¬ 
count  of  the  execrable  and  shameful  things  which 
happened  in  Rome  during  the  transfer  of  the  body  of 
Pius  IX.,  Our  Predecessor  of  happy  memory.  We 
have  enjoined  our  beloved  son,  the  Cardinal  Secretary 
of  State,  to  advise  the  governments  of  Europe  without 
delay  of  these  disgraceful  occurrences.  Nevertheless, 
the  affront  offered  Our  great  predecessor,  as  well  as 
the  outrage  upon  the  Pontifical  dignity,  oblige  us  to 
raise  Our  voice,  that  We  give  the  sentiments  of  Our 
soul  public  confirmation,  and  that  Catholic  nations 
may  understand  that  We  have  done  what  was  in  Our 
power  to  guard  the  memory  of  so  saintly  a  person, 
and  to  defend  the  majesty  of  the  sovereign  Pontificate. 

“  Pius  IX.,  as  is  known  to  you,  Venerable  Brethren, 


4-22  LIFE  OF  LOPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

willed  that  his  body  should  be  buried  iu  the  Basilica 
of  St.  Lawrence,  outside  the  walls.  Therefore,  wish¬ 
ing  to  carry  into  effect  this  his  last  will,  and  with  an 
understanding  with  those  whose  duty  it  is  to  secure 
the  public  safety,  it  was  arranged  that  the  removal 
from  the  Vatican  Basilica  should  be  made  in  the 
silence  of  the  night,  during  those  hours  which  are 
usually  the  most  quiet.  It  was  also  resolved  that  the 
transfer  should  be  made  in  such  a  manner  as  was 
compatible  with  the  present  state  of  things  in  Rome, 
as  well  as  in  the  form  suitable  to  the  dignity  of  the 
Pontiff,  and  conformable  to  the  conditions  of  the 
Church.  But  news  of  what  was  to  be  done  spread 
through  the  city,  and  the  Roman  people,  mindful  of 
the  goodness  and  virtue  of  so  great  a  Pope,  spon¬ 
taneously  manifested  the  desire  of  rendering  their 
common  father  a  last  tribute  of  respect  and  filial  piety. 
This  manifestation  of  gratitude  and  affection  would 
have  been  worthy  of  the  religious  sentiment  of  the 
Roman  people,  who  had  no  other  intention  than  that 
of  decorously  forming  part  of  the  cortege.  At  the 
hour  indicated  the  convoy  started  from  the  Vatican, 
while  a  great  number  of  persons  of  all  conditions 
gathered  from  all  sides ;  still  more  followed  it,  all 
behaving  quietly  and  seriously.  Suitable  prayers 
were  recited  as  they  went  along;  not  a  cry  was  heard, 
not  a  thing  done  to  provoke  any  one,  or  give  rise  to 
the  slightest  disorder.  But  from  the  very  outset,  a 
band  of  notorious  ruffians  began  to  disturb  the  sad 
ceremony  with  disorderly  cries ;  increasing  in  bold¬ 
ness  and  numbers  along  the  way,  they  redoubled  their 
noise  and  tumult,  insulting  the  most  sacred  things, 
greeting  the  most  respectable  persons  with  hisses  and 
insults,  surrounding  the  funeral  cortege  with  threat¬ 
ening  air  and  contemptuous  manner,  attacking  it  with 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  423 

blows  and  stones.  They  dared  to  do  what  even  bar¬ 
barians  would  not  have  attempted,  not  respecting 
even  the  remains  of  the  departed  Pontiff ;  for,  not 
satisfied  with  imprecations  upon  his  name,  they  threw 
stones  at  the  car  upon  which  his  coffin  was  placed,  and 
more  than  once  cried  out  that  his  ashes  should  be 
scattered  to  the  winds.  During  all  the  long  journey, 
which  lasted  over  two  hours,  this  disgraceful  spectacle 
continued,  and  yet  greater  excesses  were  prevented 
only  by  the  forbearance  of  those  who,  although  pro¬ 
voked  by  every  kind  of  annoyance  and  violence, 
preferred  to  resign  themselves  to  receive  injuries, 
rather  than  that  their  pious  offices  should  be  disturbed 
by  still  more  distressing  scenes. 

“  These  notorious  facts,  confirmed  by  public  proofs, 
it  is  vain  for  those  interested  to  seek  to  dissimulate  or 
deny.  Wherever  they  are  known,  they  not  only  fill 
the  hearts  of  all  good  Catholics  with  bitterness,  but 
excite  the  indignation  of  all  those  who  prize  the  name 
of  civilization.  We  daily  receive  letters  from  all 
quarters  execrating  such  shameful  misdeeds.  Such 
dastardly  proceedings  have  brought  especial  grief  and 
sori'ow  to  Our  soul,  and  since  Our  duty  constitutes 
Us  vindicator  of  every  attempt  detrimental  to  the 
majesty  of  the  Roman  Pontificate,  and  to  the  venerated 
memory  of  Our  predecessors,  We  solemnly  protest 
before  you,  venerable  brethren,  against  these  deplor¬ 
able  excesses,  and  complain  loudly  against  such  an 
offence,  the  blame  of  which  falls  upon  those  who  have 
not  defended  either  the  rights  of  religion  or  the  liberty 
of  citizens  against  the  fury  of  the  wicked.  And  this 
very  thing  will  convince  the  Catholic  world  what  se¬ 
curity  there  remains  for  Us  in  Rome,  ft  is  already 
known  that  We  were  reduced  to  a  sad,  and  for  many 
reasons  intolerable  condition;  but  the  recent  facts  of 


424  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

which  We  have  spoken  have  made  this  clearer  and 
more  manifest,  and  have,  moreover,  shown  that  bitter 
as  may  be  the  actual  state  of  things  for  Us,  still 
worse  are  to  be  feared  for  the  future.  That  if  the 
removal  of  the  remains  of  Pius  IX.  gave  rise  to  such 
behavior  and  tumult,  what  could  give  any  security 
that  the  audacity  of  the  wicked  would  not  break 
out  into  similar  demonstrations  should  they  see  Us 
walking  through  the  streets  of  Rome  in  a  manner 
becoming  Our  dignity,  especially  if  they  fancied  them¬ 
selves  justified  in  so  doing  because  Our  duty  had  com¬ 
pelled  Us  either  to  condemn  unjust  laws  decreed  here 
in  Rome,  or  to  reprove  the  wickedness  of  some  other 
public  act.  Hence  it  is  made  clearer  than  ever  that, 
under  present  circumstances,  We  cannot  possibly  re¬ 
main  in  Rome  otherwise  than  as  a  prisoner  in  the 
Vatican.  Whoever  closely  observes  certain  indica¬ 
tions,  manifested  from  time  to  time,  and  remembers 
that  the  sect  has  openly  conspired  for  the  extermina¬ 
tion  of  the  name  of  Catholic,  will  be  quite  right  in 
affirming  that  still  more  pernicious  proposals  are  be¬ 
ing  matured  against  the  Religion  of  Jesus  Christ,  the 
Pontificate,  and  the  hereditary  faith  of  the  Roman 
people.  We  assuredly,  as  is  Our  duty,  will  follow 
with  attentive  eye  the  progress  of  this  desperate 
struggle,  considering  at  the  same  time  the  most  suit¬ 
able  means  of  defence.  Placing  all  Our  confidence  in 
God,  We  are  resolved  to  fight  to  the  end  for  the 
Church,  the  independence  of  the  Papacy,  the  rights 
and  the  Majesty  of  this  Apostolic  See,  for  which  we 
shall  spare  no  labor  and  be  intimidated  by  no  diffi¬ 
culty.  Nor  shall  We  be  alone  in  the  combat,  for  in 
your  virtue  and  constancy,  Venerable  Brethren,  We 
place  in  all  respects  the  greatest  confidence.  Not  a 
little  comfort  and  support  do  We  derive  from  the 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  425 

good-will  and  piety  of  the  Roman  people  who,  al¬ 
though  watched  in  a  thousand  ways,  and  tempted  by 
various  arts,  remain  with  singular  firmness  obedient 
to  the  Church  and  faithful  to  their  Pontiff,  allowing 
no  occasion  to  pass  without  showing  how  profoundly 
these  virtues  are  engraven  on  their  hearts.” 

Fearing  further  insults  to  the  remains  of  Pius  IX., 
the  Holy  Father  ordered  the  tomb  in  San  Lorenzo  to 
be  enclosed  with  an  iron  railing.  What  a  comment 
on  Italian  “  Liberal  ”  (?)  civilization  ! 

That  great  loyalty,  however,  to  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff  yet  exists  among  the  Italian  people  is  attested 
by  the  following  address  in  protestation  against  the 
insults  to  Pius  IX.:  “Most  Holy  Father— The  sad 
echo  of  the  events  accomplished  in  Rome  on  the  night 
of  July  13,  against  the  venerated  body  of  your  august 
predecessor,  Pius  IX.,  and  against  the  majest}^  of  the 
Roman  Pontificate,  as  well  as  the  insults  and  wicked 
resolutions  against  your  supreme  authority,  which 
have  been  repeated  in  and  outside  Rome,  have  filled 
us  with  grief  and  indignation.  To  satisfy  the  neces¬ 
sities  of  our  hearts  we  protest  as  Catholics,  as  your 
children,  against  such  attacks  upon  our  master  and 
Father.  We  glory  in  giving  public  and  spontaneous 
adhesion  to  your  Allocution  of  August  4;  we  acknowl¬ 
edge  with  you  that  you  have  been  deprived  of  that 
liberty  to  which  you  have  a  sacred  right,  and  we 
loudly  demand  in  the  face  of  the  world  the  cessation 
of  that  condition  of  the  Vicar  of  Jesus  Christ  which 
is  a  menace  to  our  consciences  and  to  the  conscience 
of  all  the  Catholics  of  the  world.  And  also  as  Italians, 
Holy  Father,  we  protest  against  the  unmerited  wrong 
done  to  our  poor  country  by  the  commission  of  such 
crimes  in  her  name,  and  in  cloaking  these  infernal  plots 
under  the  pretext  of  her  welfare.  We  affirm  that  the 


426  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

Papacy  is  the  glory  of  Italy ;  that  Italy  can  be  envied 
by  all  civilized  nations,  principally  through  means  of 
the  Papacy ;  and  that,  far  from  having  in  the  Papacy 
an  obstacle  to  her  true  welfare,  it  is  only  by  remain¬ 
ing  Catholic  and  by  respecting  the  rights  and  inde¬ 
pendence  of  the  Papacy  that  Italy  may  secure  her 
proper  prosperity  and  grandeur.  Bless  us,  Holy 
Father,  and  may  God  grant  a  termination  to  your 
bitter  trials,  and  save  us  all.” 

The  diocese  of  Newark,  which  had  been  without 
a  Bishop  since  the  promotion  of  the  Most  Rev.  Dr. 
Corrigan,  was  now  divided  into  two  dioceses — New¬ 
ark  and  Trenton.  The  Rev.  Winand  M.  Wigger, 
parish  priest  of  Madison,  New  Jersey,  was  appointed 
to  the  older  See,  and  Rev.  Michael  J.  O’Farrell,  of 
New  York,  to  the  newly-created  one. 

Right  Rev.  Dr.  Wigger  was  born  in  New  York 
City,  December  12,  1841.  As  a  lad  he  attended  St. 
Francis  Xavier’s  College,  New  York,  and  after  com¬ 
pleting  the  course  of  studies  there,  went  to  Seton  Hall 
College,  where  he  remained  a  while.  He  afterwards 
went  to  Europe,  entering  the  Collegio  Brignole  Sale, 
at  Genoa,  where,  in  September,  1864,  he  received  Sub- 
deaconship.  At  Easter,  1865,  he  received  Deacon- 
ship,  and  on  the  10th  of  June  of  the  same  )mar  he  was 
ordained  priest  in  the  Archiepiscopal  palace  of  Sa¬ 
vona,  in  the  very  chapel  where  Pius  VIE  said  Mass 
while  on  his  way  to  Avignon.  In  the  fall  of  1865  Fa¬ 
ther  Wigger  returned  home,  and  was  appointed  assis¬ 
tant  at  the  Cathedral,  Newark,  by  Bishop  Bayley. 
His  health  failing,  he  took  a  vacation  in  1868,  and 
visited  Rome,  where,  in  1869,  he  received  the  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Divinity.  He  returned  to  America  in 
1870,  and  from  that  time  until  his  consecration  as 
Bishop  was  pastor  at  Madison,  New  Jersey. 

Right  Rev.  Michael  J.  O’Farrell  was  born  in  Lim- 


LIFE  OF  TOTE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


42; 


erick,  Ireland,  in  1832.  He  commenced  his  studies  at 
All  Hallows  College,  Dublin,  in  1848,  and  finished  at 
St.  Sulpice,  Paris,  where  he  received  deaconship,  and 
filled  the  chair  of  dogmatic  theology  for  one  year. 
He  was  ordained  in  1855.  For  several  years  he  was 
one  of  the  Faculty  at  the  Montreal  Seminary.  From 
Montreal  he  came  to  New  York,  and  in  1869  became 
connected  with  St.  Peter’s  church,  of  which  he  was 
made  pastor  in  1873.  Bishop  O’Farrell  is  a  mild,  un¬ 
assuming  gentleman,  a  profound  scholar,  an  earnest 
and  devoted  churchman,  and  an  ardent  Irish  patriot. 
He  is  worthy  of  and  in  every  way  qualified  for  the 
great  honor  which  it  pleased  the  Holy  Father  to  con¬ 
fer  upon  him.  To  his  zeal  St.  Peter’s  parish  is  in¬ 
debted  for  one  of  the  largest  and  most  flourishing 
schools  in  New  York. 

According  to  the  Roman  “  Liberal  ”  papers,  the 
early  departure  of  the  Holy  Father  from  Rome  may 
be  looked  for.  Certain  it  is  that  the  Radicals  will  do 
what  they  can  to  drive  him  away. 

If  that  loud  God-defying  hate 
Which  howls  in  modern  Atheist  Rome 
Should  chase  the  Pontiff  from  his  home 
And  drive  him  to  some  foreign  State, 

Where  would  he  turn  when  foes  are  strong 
And  ruthless,  and  the  faith  grows  weak, 

And  few  would  risk  their  all  to  seek 
The  rights  which  to  his  See  belong? 

Would  fragrant  climes  beyond  the  seas. 

And  isle  and  coast  and  harbor  calm 
Receive  their  guest  with  prayer  and  psalm. 

And  raise  successive  jubilees  ? 

Or  rather  would  the  Lord,  as  when 
He  met  with  Peter,  turn  him  back 
And  lead  him  by  the  same  stern  track 
To  some  dark  Roman  cell  or  den  ; 


428  LIFE  OF  FOPE  LEO  TFIE  THIRTEENTH. 


And  steep  his  robe  in  martyr’s  stain. 

As  many  a  one  was  steeped  of  yore. 

That  crime,  aghast,  may  rage  no  more, 

And  utmost  loss  be  utmost  gain  ? 

So  was  it,  and  again  may  be; 

Our  wills  we  bow  to  His  wise  will, 

Howe’er  it  please  Him  to  fulfil  ■ 

His  promises  of  victory. 

The  year  1 88 1  was  gloriously  closed  with  one  of  the 
most  impressive  ceremonies  of  the  Church,  namely, 

THE  CANONIZATION 

of  four  holy  servants  of  God :  Blessed  Giovanni  Bat¬ 
tista  de  Rossi,  Canon  of  Santa  Maria  in  Cosmedin  ; 
Father  Lorenzo  da  Brindisi,  Capuchin  of  the  Minor 
Observants  of  St.  Francis;  Benedict  Joseph  Labre, 
layman ;  and  Sister  Clare  of  the  Cross,  of  Monte- 
falco,  Augustinian  Nun. 

The  ceremony  took  place  on  the  8th  of  December 
in  the  great  hall  over  the  portico  of  St.  Peter’s,  and 
is  thus  graphically  described  by  the  Roman  corre¬ 
spondent  of  the  London  Tablet : 

“  This  hall  was  beautifully  decorated  and  prepared 
for  the  occasion,  under  the  direction  of  Commendatore 
Fontana,  Vatican  architect,  with  the  approval  of  the 
Holy  Father  himself,  who  carefully  inspected  the 
arrangements.  The  hall  was  not  adorned  with  glaring 
draperies,  but  in  the  simplest  taste.  The  walls,  divided 
already  into  compartments  by  the  huge  recesses  for 
windows  looking  on  one  side  into  the  piazza,  on  the 
other  into  the  Basilica,  were  further  subdivided  by 
festoons  of  flowers  and  candelabra,  reaching  in  lines 
from  the  ceiling  to  near  the  ground.  The  cornice  was 
equipped  with  a  double  row  of  lights,  extending  all 
round  the  hall,  one  row  being  perfectly  even  and  the 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  429 

upper  being  here  and  there  diversified  by  slight  ele¬ 
vations  of  the  lamps.  The  prevailing  colors  in  the 
decoration  of  the  walls  were  white  and  gold,  which 
were  set  off  admirably  by  the  festoons  of  flowers. 
The  Papal  throne  erected  at  the  far  end  of  the  hall 
had  over  it  the  legend  Ubi  Petrus  ibi  ecclesia.  The 
altar  in  the  midst  before  the  throne  was  covered  by  a 
lofty  baldacchino,  the  four  columns  and  the  angels 
supporting  them  being  richly  gilt.  Between  the 
throne  and  the  altar  were  the  benches  for  the  Cardi¬ 
nals  and  Archbishops,  at  the  other  side  of  the  altar 
were  seats  for  the  Bishops,  mitred  Abbots  and  prelates. 
A  barrier  similar  to  that  in  the  Sistine  Chapel  divided 
the  hall  into  two  portions,  one  for  the  Pope,  Cardinals, 
and  ecclesiastics,  the  other  for  the  general  public.  All 
along  the  centre  of  the  hall  a  passage  was  kept  clear 
by  the  Palatine  and  Swiss  Guards.  The  recesses  of 
the  windows,  the  walls  being  of  great  thickness, 
afforded  ample  room  for  the  erection  of  tribunes  or 
galleries.  The  ten  recesses,  five  on  the  side  of  the 
piazza  and  five  looking  into  the  Basilica,  were  accord¬ 
ingly  utilized  by  the  erection  in  each  of  three  tiers  of 
seats  with  staircases.  The  ten  tribunes  thus  provided 
were  distinguished  by  letters,  A  to  K.  The  tribune 
A  to  the  left  of  the  Papal  throne  and  gospel  side  of 
the  Papal  altar  was  reserved  for  the  Grand  Master  of 
the  Order  of  Malta  with  three  knights,  the  president 
and  four  postulators  of  the  respective  causes,  and 
friends  of  the  Secretary  of  State.  Tribune  B  was 
allocated  to  the  prelates  and  consultors  of  the  Con¬ 
gregation  of  Rites  and  to  friends  of  the  Majordomo. 
Tribune  C  was  given  to  the  postulation  committee  of 
Blessed  John  Baptist  de  Rossi;  D  to  the  postulation 
committee  of  Blessed  Joseph  Labre;  and  E  to  the  com¬ 
mission  of  the  Congregation  of  Rites.  At  the  right  of 


430  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

the  throne  and  epistle  side  of  the  Papal  altar,  tribune  F 
was  reserved  for  the  diplomatic  body;  Gfor  the  Pecci 
family  and  the  Roman  nobles  ;  H  for  the  Roman  nobles 
and  the  Papal  choir;  I  for  the  postulation  of  Blessed 
Lorenzo  da  Brindisi ;  and  K  for  the  postulation  of 
Blessed  Clara  da  Montefalco.  Twelve  standards 
painted  to  represent  miracles  or  scenes  in  the  lives  of 
the  new  saints  were  suspended  at  intervals  along  the 
walls  of  the  hall  and  antechamber. 

“  Eight  o'clock  a.m.  was  the  hour  mentioned  for  the 
arrival  in  the  tickets  of  admission,  but  as  early  as  six 
A.M.  people  drove  to  the  bronze  gate  which  was  then, 
of  course,  closed.  The  Cardinals,  Archbishops,  and 
Bishops,  the  ambassadors  and  Roman  nobles  drove 
round  by  the  Zecca,  and  all  other  persons  were 
directed  to  the  bronze  gate,  and  long  before  8  A.M. 
the  Scala  Regia  was  crowded  by  some  hundreds  of 
ladies  and  gentlemen  all  anxious  to  get  the  first  places. 
The  Palatine  Guards  formed  a  cordon  at  the  head  of 
the  stairs  and  allowed  only  a  few  to  pass  at  a  time,  in 
order  to  give  time  for  close  examination  of  the  tickets. 
By  nine  A.M.  the  seats  in  the  body  of  the  hall  were 
filled  and  the  tribunes  nearly  so. 

“  Shortly  after  nine  A.M.  the  Pope,  accompanied  by 
the  Majordomo,  Master  of  the  Camera,  Noble  Guards 
and  Chamberlains  (lay  and  clerical)  on  duty,  left  his 
private  apartments  and  descended  to  the  hall  dei  Para- 
menti,  in  which  were  already  assembled  the  Cardinals 
(42  in  number),  the  Archbishops  (65  or  more),  the 
Bishops  (75),  the  Abbots  (only  4  or  5),  the  Generals  of 
Orders,  Vatican  Penitentiaries,  Vatican  prelates  and 
officials,  and  the  consultors  of  the  Congregation  of 
Rites.  The  Pope  then  robed  in  the  sacred  vestments 
with  the  Papal  mantle,  and  put  on  the  tiara,  and  after 
blessing  the  incense,  entered  the  adjoining  Sala 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  43 1 

Ducale,  where  he  laid  aside  the  tiara  and  knelt  in 
prayer  at  an  altar  erected  for  the  purpose,  and 
adorned  by  a  tapestry  picture  of  the  Immaculate  Con¬ 
ception.  The  Pope,  on  rising  from  prayer,  intoned 
the  first  words  of  the  hymn  Ave  Maris  stella,  which 
was  sung  by  the  papal  choir,  and  assuming  the  mitre, 
entered  the  sedia  gestatoria,  and  was  presented  by 
Cardinal  Bartolini,  Procurator  of  the  Canonization, 
with  three  lighted  waxen  candles,  richly  painted.  The 
largest  of  these  the  Pope  handed  to  the  Prince  Assis¬ 
tant  at  the  Throne  (Colonna),  who  knelt  to  receive  it, 
and  the  smallest  he  took  in  his  left  hand,  leaving  his 
right  hand  free  to  impart  the  Benediction. 

“  A  procession  was  then  formed  in  the  following 
order:  Two  mace-bearers;  under  officers;  consultors 
and  officers  of  the  Congregation  of  Rites ;  members  of 
the  Cappella  Pontificia,  i.e.,  Procurators,  Apostolic 
Preacher,  Confessor,  Proctors- General  of  Mendicant 
Orders,  Bussolanti,  chaplains  in  ordinary,  some  of 
them  bearing  the  Pope’s  precious  mitres,  clerks  and 
private  chaplains,  the  Procurator-General  del  hisco 
and  Consistorial  Advocates,  the  Cameriere  d  Onore  and 
Scgrcti  and  the  singers  of  the  Papal  Choir;  various 
Vatican  prelates ;  two  private  chaplains  .bearing  the 
tiara  and  mitre  usually  worn  by  Leo  XIII.;  Prince 
Ruspoli,  Master  of  the  Sacred  Hospice,  attended  by 
mace-bearers  and  Cursori. 

“  Next  came  a  Votante  di  Segnatura  with  incense, 
the  junior  Auditor  of  the  Rota,  as  subdeacon  apostolic, 
bearing  the  Papal  Cross,  and  surrounded  by  seven 
acolytes  with  lighted  wax  candles,  and  followed  by 
the  Virga  Rubra,  or  keeper  of  the  Papal  Cross,  an 
Auditor  of  the  Rota  and  two  Greeks,  habited  in 
sacred  vestments  for  serving  as  subdeacons  at  the 
mass.  Then  in  white  copes  advanced  the  Vatican 


432  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

Penitentiaries;  the  Abbots  General;  the  Commenda- 
tore  di  S.  Spirito ;  the  Abbots  Ordinary,  all  in  white 
damask  copes  and  white  mitres ;  the  Bishops  and 
Archbishops,  non-assistant  and  assistant  at  the  throne, 
in  copes  of  silver  cloth  and  with  white  mitres. 

“  Afterwards  the  Cardinals,  the  Deacons  first  in 
rich  silver  dalmatics,  embroidered  in  gold,  then  the 
Priests  in  copes ;  and  lastly,  the  Cardinal  Bishops  in 
copes,  all  wearing  damask  mitres,  and  holding  in  their 
hands  lighted  wax  candles,  each  attended  by  train- 
bearer  and  officials ;  next  the  Prince  (Colonna),  assis¬ 
tant  at  the  Throne  ;  two  auditors  of  the  Rota ;  the  two 
first  Deacons  assistant  (Cardinals  Mertel  and  Randi), 
with  Cardinal  Zigliara  as  acting  Deacon  Ministrant 
between  them ;  the  Prefect  of  Pontifical  Ceremonies 
(Mgr.  Cataldi)  and  a  Master  of  Ceremonies  in  attend¬ 
ance. 

“  Next  came  the  Pope  in  the  sedia  gestatoria,  at¬ 
tended  by  the  Foriere  (Marchese  Sacchetti)  and  the 
Cavallerizzo  (Marchese  Serlupi),  and  carried  by  Pala- 
frenieni  and  Sediari,  wearing  red  damask  liveries;  and 
with  a  baldacchino  held  over  him  by  eight  Referen¬ 
dary  Prelates  of  the  Segnatura  (of  whom  Mgr.  Stonor 
was  one) ;  the  flabelli  or  peacock  fans  being  carried  at 
either  side.  Immediately  behind  his  Holiness  fol¬ 
lowed  the  commandants  and  officers  of  the  Noble 
Guard,  the  officers  of  the  Swiss  and  Palatine  Guards 
of  Honor,  the  sword-bearers,  mace-bearers,  the  Dean 
of  the  Rota  carrying  the  mitre,  the  Majordomo  (Mgr. 
Ricci-Paracciani),  the  Master  of  the  Camera  (Mgr. 
Macchi),  the  Prothonotaries  Partecipanti ,  and  some 
Generals  of  Religious  Orders. 

“  This  procession,  issuing  from  the  Sala  Ducale, 
went  round  the  Aula  Regia  and  entered  the  Sistine 
Chapel,  where  the  Pope  alighted  from  the  sedia  gesta- 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  433 

torin,  and  knelt  before  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  The 
procession,  when  the  Pope  re-entered  the  sedia,  re¬ 
sumed  its  course  to  the  hall  of  Canonization,  the  Papal 
choir,  at  the  entrance  of  his  Holiness,  singing  the  Tu 
es  Petrus. 

“  The  scene,  as  viewed  from  the  upper  galleries  of 
the  tribunes,  at  the  entrance  of  the  procession,  was 
strikingly  beautiful.  A  soft  golden  light  pervaded 
the  hall ;  the  tribunes  were  filled  with  Ambassadors  in 
rich  uniform,  nobles  and  gentlemen  wearing  brilliant 
decorations,  Capuchins  in  sombre  brown,  and  Augus- 
tinians  in  black  robes.  The  crimson  plumes  of  the 
Palatine  Guards  formed  a  double  line  in  the  midst  of 
the  hall ;  then  came  slowly  marching  the  various  Vati¬ 
can  officials,  some  in  red  and  white  robes,  interspersed 
with  the  Spanish  costumes  of  black  velvet  and  the 
silver  maces,  next  the  long  and  apparently  intermin¬ 
able  rows  of  white  mitres  with  a  few  red  crowns  stud¬ 
ded  with  jewels  of  Armenian  and  Oriental  prelates, 
the  Cardinals  in  their  rich  robes,  and  the  great  offi¬ 
cers  of  State,  and,  most  observed  of  all,  Leo  XIII. 
himself,  giving  his  benediction  to  the  kneeling  crowds 
and  looking  every  inch  the  Supreme  Pontiff  of  the 
Catholic  Church.  When  the  barrier  was  passed  his 
Holiness  handed  his  waxen  torch  to  the  Coppiere 
(Monsignor  Boccali),  and  the  second  Cardinal  Deacon 
removed  the  tiara.  The  Pope  then  knelt  in  prayer  at 
the  faldstool  before  the  throne,  and  on  rising  took  his 
seat  on  the  throne,  again  wearing  the  mitre.  Four¬ 
teen  of  the  senior  Archbishops  and  Bishops  sat  on  the 
steps  of  the  throne.  The  Cardinals  sat  on  longitudinal 
benches  at  either  side  of  the  space  before  the  throne, 
and  behind  them  sat  the  Archbishops.  The  Bishops, 
Abbots,  Penitentiaries,  and  Vatican  prelates  sat  on 
cross  benches  ranged  between  the  altar  and  the  bar- 


434  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

rier.  The  Cardinals,  Archbishops,  Bishops,  Abbots, 
and  prelates  then,  one  by  one  and  in  order  of  rank,  went 
up  to  the  throne  and  paid  their  respective  homages. 
They  then  resumed  their  seats,  each  retaining  in  his 
hand  a  lighted  candle.  The  Procurator  of  the  Canon¬ 
ization,  Cardinal  Bartolini,  and  on  his  left  the  Consis- 
torial  Advocate,  De  Domenicis  Tosti,  were  then  con¬ 
ducted  to  the  foot  of  the  throne,  and  the  Dean,  in  the 
name  of  the  Cardinal  Procurator,  made  in  Latin  the 
first  postulation  instanter  for  the  canonization,  to 
which  a  reply,  also  in  Latin,  was  made  in  the  name  of 
the  Pontiff,  by  Monsignor  Mercurelli,  the  Secretary 
of  Briefs  to  Princes.  The  Postulators  returned  to 
their  seats,  the  Pope  left  the  throne  and  knelt  at  the 
faldstool,  and  two  singers  of  the  Papal  choir  intoned 
the  Litanies  of  the  Saints,  all  present  kneeling  and 
joining  in  the  responses.  The  Litanies  being  over,  the 
Pope  returned  to  his  throne,  and  the  second  postula¬ 
tion,  instanter ,  instantius,  was  made,  and  the  Secretary 
replied.  The  Postulators  resumed  their  seats,  the 
Pope  again  kneit,  and  the  first.  Cardinal  Deacon  assis¬ 
tant  pronounced  the  word  Orate.  All  present  knelt 
and  prayed  until  the  second  Cardinal  Deacon  assistant 
said  Levate.  The  Pope  and  all  present  then  rose, 
and  the  Pope  intoned  the  Veni  Creator  Spiritus ,  after 
which  he  recited  the  prescribed  prayers ;  and  the 
third  postulation,  instanter ,  instantius ,  instantissime,  was 
made  and  responded  to  by  the  Secretary.  The  Pope 
now  stood  at  the  throne,  wearing  the  tiara,  and  as 
Doctor  Infallible  and  Head  of  the  Universal  Church, 
pronounced  the  formal  decree  of  canonization. 

“  On  the  publication  of  this  decree  the  Cardinal 
Procurator  and  the  Consistorial  Advocate  returned 
thanks,  and  prayed  for  the  despatch  of  the  relative 
apostolic  letters.  The  Pope  replied  :  ‘Decernimus : '  and 


LIFE  OF  TOPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  435 

the  Advocate  requested  the  prothonotaries  to  com¬ 
pile  the  acts  of  canonization.  The  chief  prothonotary 
answered  ‘  Conficiemus ;  ’  and,  turning  to  the  Cham¬ 
berlains,  added,  ‘  vobis  testibus .’  The  trumpets  now 
sounded  from  the  distance,  and  the  bells  of  St.  Peter’s 
and  of  all  the  churches  of  Rome  began  to  ring  out  a 
joyful  peal.  The  Pope  rose,  laid  aside  the  mitre,  and 
intoned  the  4  Te  Deum,’  which  was  chanted  by  the 
Papal  choir.  After  the  ‘Te  Deum’  Cardinal  Mertel 
intoned  the  ‘  Orate  pro  nobis  Sancti  Joannes  Baptista, 
Laurenti,  Benedicte  Joseph  et  Clara,’  the  choir  re¬ 
sponding  with  ‘  Ut  digni  efficiamur  promissionibus 
Christi.’  The  Holy  Father  then  read  the  ‘  Oremus  ’ 
proper  for  the  new  Saints.  The  Cardinal  Deacon, 
Gospeller,  recited  the  ‘  Confiteor,’  adding,  after  ‘  Petro 
et  Paulo,’  the  words  ‘Sanctis  Joanni  Baptistag,  Lau- 
rentio,  Benedicto  Joseph  et  Claras. ’  The  Sub-deacon 
then  approached  the  throne,  bearing  the  cross,  and 
Leo  XIII.,  laying  aside  the  mitre,  said  the  prayer  be¬ 
fore  the  benediction,  adding  the  names  of  the  new 
Saints,  and  then  solemnly  imparted  the  benediction, 
and  the  Canonization  ceremonies  were  concluded. 

“Preparations  were  then  made  for  the  Mass.  The 
Psalms  for  Tierce  were  intoned  and  the  Pope  put  on 
the  vestments  for  Mass.  Cardinal  Di  Pietro  was  the 
Assistant  Bishop,  Cardinals  Mertel  and  Randi  the 
Deacons  Assistant,  and  Cardinal  Zigliara  was  Deacon 
Ministrante.  The  Sub-deacon  was  Mgr.  Sibilia,  Au¬ 
ditor  of  the  Rota.  The  Mass  celebrated  by  the  Holy 
Father  was  that  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  with 
prayers  proper  for  the  new  Saints.  The  Gospel  and 
the  Epistle  were  intoned  both  in  Greek  and  Latin,  and 
after  the  Gospel  Leo  XIII.  delivered  a  homily,  in 
which  he  enlarged  on  the  subject  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception,  and  deplored  the  unfortunate  condition 


436  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

of  affairs  which  prevented  the  celebration  of  these 
functions  in  St.  Peter’s,  and  returned  thanks  to  Heaven 
for  the  privilege  of  decreeing  divine  honors  to  four 
heroes  of  the  Church.  He  then  pronounced  an  ad¬ 
mirable  panegyric  on  the  life  and  virtues  of  the  four 
Saints,  concluding  by  a  prayer  for  a  blessing  for  the 
Universal  Church  through  the  intercession  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin  and  the  newly  canonized  Saints.  The 
homily  lasted  for  nearly  twenty  minutes.  During  the 
chanting  of  the  ‘  Credo,’  twelve  Cardinals,  members 
of  the  Congregation  of  Rites,  proceeded  to  the  Pau¬ 
line  Chapel,  where  the  oblations  were  laid  out  on 
twelve  tables.  These  oblations  consisted,  for  each  of 
the  four  postulations,  of  five  wax  candles,  two  of  the 
weight  of  thirty  Roman  pounds  each,  and  three  of  nine 
pounds  weight  each ;  two  large  loaves,  one  gilt,  the 
other  silvered,  on  silver  plates ;  wine  and  water  in  two 
small  barrels,  one  gilt,  the  other  silvered  ;  three  cages, 
one  with  two  turtle-doves,  the  second  with  two  pig¬ 
eons,  the  third  with  some  other  birds.  These  obla¬ 
tions,  carried  by  thepostulators,  were  presented  to  the 
Pope  by  Cardinals,  namely,  the  Cardinal  Procurator, 
Bartolini,  a  Cardinal  Priest,  and  a  Cardinal  Deacon, 
all  of  the  Congregation  of  Rites.  Cardinal  Bartolini 
acted  for  all  four  postulations,  as  the  Procurator  for 
all ;  the  other  Cardinals  were  Di  Pietro,  Monaco  La 
Valletta,  and  De  Falloux,  for  St.  John  Baptist  de 
Rossi ;  Cardinals  Sacconi,  Oreglia,  and  Pellegrini,  for 
St.  Lorenzo  da  Brindisi;  Cardinals  Bilio,  Mertinelli, 
and  Pecci,  for  St.  Benedict  Joseph  Labre ;  and  Cardi¬ 
nals  Pitra,  Cattani,  and  Hassoun,  for  St.  Clare  of  the 
Cross.  The  several  oblations  as  presented  to  the 
Pope  were  by  his  Holiness  handed  to  Monsignor  Ca- 
taldi,  Prefect  of  Pontifical  Ceremonies. 

“  The  Pope  then,  after  washing  his  hands,  con- 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  437 

tinued  the  celebration  of  the  Mass,  making  the  Com¬ 
munion  on  the  throne.  The  music  chosen  for  the  oc¬ 
casion  was  Ciciliani’s  Mass  for  eight  voices,  with  the 
Credo  of  Vittoria,  the  Tota  pulchra  of  Palestrina,  and 
the  O  salutaris  Hostia  of  Mustafa,  who  directed  the 
choir  with  his  usual  consummate  skill.  At  the  mo¬ 
ment  of  the  elevation,  a  melody  was  sounded  by  the 
silver  trumpets  of  the  Noble  Guards,  the  musicians 
being  stationed  out  of  view,  and  above  the  cornice  of 
the  entrance  door.  After  the  elevation,  Baini’s  Bene- 
dictus  was  sung  by  the  choir.  The  Pope  at  the  termi¬ 
nation  of  the  Mass  laid  the  Pallium  and  Maniple  upon 
the  altar,  and,  putting  on  the  mitre,  took  his  seat  on 
the  throne.  He  then  exchanged  the  mitre  for  the 
tiara,  and  Cardinal  Bartolini,  Procurator  of  the  Can¬ 
onization,  Mgr.  de  Marzo,  President  of  Postulations, 
and  the  Postulators  of  the  four  Causes  approached  the 
throne,  and  Cardinal  Bartolini,  in  the  name  of  the  four 
postulators,  presented  his  Holiness  with  a  purse  of 
white  velvet,  embroidered  with  gold,  and  containing 
the  customary  offering  pro  missa  bene  cantata.  The 
Pope  then  entered  the  scdia  gestatoria,  the  procession 
was  formed,  and  the  Holy  Father  left  the  hall  with 
the  same  cortege  as  when  he  entered  it,  and  exhibit¬ 
ing  little  signs  of  fatigue,  although  the  ceremonies  had 
lasted  from  8.30  a.m.  to  2.30  p.m. 

“  Cardinal  Mertel  unfortunately  was  seized  with  ill¬ 
ness  during  the  functions,  and  his  place  as  Cardinal- 
Deacon  assistant  was  supplied  by  another  Cardinal. 
Some  alarm  was  felt  at  first  at  the  apparently  serious 
indisposition  of  his  Eminence,  but  he  became  much 
better  the  following  day. 

“  Among  the  notables  present  at  the  Canonization 
were  Cardinal  Schwarzenberg,  the  sole  remaining 
Cardinal  of  the  creation  of  Gregory  XVI.,  the  Car- 


438  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

dinal  Archbishops  of  Paris,  Rouen,  and  Toulouse,  the 
recently  consecrated  Prussian  prelate,  Archbishop 
Joseph  Stadler,  and  Bishops  Mermillod  and  Lachat. 

“  Among  the  British,  Irish,  and  American  ecclesi¬ 
astics  present  were  Bishop  Hugh  Conway,  of  Killala; 
Bishop  Michael  Logue,  of  Raphoe ;  Archbishop  Al¬ 
lard,  formerly  Vicar  Apostolic  in  Natal;  Bishop  John 
Quinlan,  of  Mobile,  U.S.A. ;  Bishop  John  Leonard, 
Vicar  Apostolic,  Cape  of  Good  Hope ;  Bishop  Pat¬ 
rick  Moran,  of  Dunedin,  New  Zealand  ;  Bishop  Kirby, 
rector  of  the  Irish  College,  Rome;  the  Abbot  Swee¬ 
ney,  O.S.B.,  who  came  specially  from  England  to  rep¬ 
resent  his  Order  at  the  Canonization ;  Father  Lock¬ 
hart,  of  London ;  and  Mgr.  Stacpoole,  Domestic  Pre¬ 
late  to  his  Holiness.” 


CHAPTER  VII. 


The  Fourth  Year  of  Pontificate. — Honors  to  St.  Teresa — Bishops 
Northrop,  Gallagher,  and  Richter — St.  Thomas's  Philosophy — Cardinal 
McCabe — The  Year  1883 — The  Pope’s  Interest  in  Irish  Affairs — Concilia¬ 
tory  Action  of  the  German  Government — The  May  Laws  Modified — The 
Third  Order  of  St.  Francis — Bishop  Rademacher — Archbishops  Elder  and 
Riordan— Brief  on  the  Study  of  History  ;  the  Vatican  Archives  thrown  open 
to  Scholars — October  the  Month  of  the  Rosary — Devotion  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin — Archbishop  Leray. 


At  the  dawn  of  the  year  1882,  the  fourth  of  the 
Pontificate  of  the  Holy  Father,  he  was  pleased  to 
grant  special  indulgences  to  pilgrims  visiting  the 
tomb  of  St.  Teresa,  and  later  in  the  year  still  further 
indulgences  for  the  triduum  in  honor  of  the  same 
Saint,  on  the  occasion  of  her  tercentenary  celebration. 

His  Holiness  having  confirmed  the  appointment 
made  by  the  Sacred  Congregation  of  Rev.  Dr. 
Northrop  as  Vicar-apostolic  of  North  Carolina,  the 
latter  was  consecrated  titular  bishop  of  Rosalia  on 
the  8th  of  January.  Rt.  Rev.  Henry  P.  Northrop 
was  born  May  5,  1842,  in  Charleston,  S.  C.  At  the 
age  of  eleven  he  was  sent  to  Georgetown  College, 
where  he  remained  three  years,  leaving  for  Mt.  St. 
Mary’s,  Emmittsburg,  from  which  college  he  was 
graduated  in  i860.  The  same  year  he  entered  the 
Seminary,  and  in  1864  went  to  the  American  College 
in  Rome,  where  he  was  ordained  the  following  year. 
He  was  appointed  successivelv  to  the  Church  of  the 
Nativity,  New  York,  and  to  St.  Joseph’s,  St.  John’s 
pro-Cathedral,  and  St.  Patrick’s,  Charleston.  One 


440  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


year  after  his  appointment  to  the  administration  of 
North  Carolina  he  was  transferred  to  the  See  of 
Charleston,  still  retaining  the  Vicariate-apostolic  of 
North  Carolina. 

On  the  15th  of  January  Pope  Leo  added  three 
names  to  the  list  of  the  Blessed,  namely :  Blessed 
Alfonso  de  Orozco,  a  saintly  Augustinian  ;  the  Vener¬ 
able  Brother  Carlo  da  Sezzi ;  and  Fra  Umile  da  Bisig- 
nano,  a  Franciscan. 

Ever  zealous  in  the  cause  of  Christian  science,  and 
especially  desirous  of  making  the  Thomistic  philoso¬ 
phy  a  universal  study,  His  Holiness  issued,  on  the 
25th  of  January,  a  second  encyclical  on  the  subject. 
It  has  been  said,  and  truly,  that  “  of  all  the  memorable 
acts  for  which  the  Pontificate  of  Leo  XIII.  is  already 
illustrious,  none  more  signally  manifests  that  eye  for 
the  times  which  the  Popes  have  so  marvellously  dis¬ 
played  in  every  age,  than  the  effort  of  his  Holiness 
‘  to  reinstate  and  to  propagate,  far  and  wide,  the 
golden  wisdom  of  Aquinas.’  ” 

In  a  Consistory  held  on  March  27,  several  cardinals 
were  created,  the  Archbishop  of  Dublin,  Most  Rev. 
Dr.  McCabe,  being  among  the  number. 

On  the  27th  of  April  His  Holiness  enriched  the 
Cathedral  of  New  Orleans  with  the  seven  years’ 
indulgence  of  the  Portiuncula,  and  on  the  30th  of  the 
same  month  appointed  Rev.  Nicholas  A.  Gallagher, 
D.D.,  Bishop  of  Canopus  and  administrator  of  Gal- 
Galveston,  Texas. 

Bishop  Gallagher  was  born  February  19,  1846,  at 
Temperanceville,  Ohio.  He  was  educated  at  Mt.  St. 
Mary’s  Seminary,  Cincinnati,  and  was  ordained  at 
Columbus,  Dec.  25,  1868.  Shortly  before  the  death 
of  Bishop  Rosecrans,  Dr.  Gallagher  was  appointed 
administrator  of  the  diocese  of  Columbus,  where  he 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  44I 

remained  until  his  appointment  to  the  administration 
of  Galveston. 

On  the  15th  of  May  the  Holy  Father  established 
the  new  diocese  of  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  and  ap¬ 
pointed  Rev.  Henry  Joseph  Richter  its  first  bishop. 
Bishop  Richter  was  born  at  Neuenkirchen,  m  Olden¬ 
burg,  April  19,  1838.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  came 
to  this  country,  and  for  a  year  attended  St.  Paul’s 
School  in  Cincinnati,  and  afterwards  St.  Xavier’s  Col¬ 
lege.  From  there  he  went  in  turn  to  Bardstown,  Ky., 
and  to  St.  Mary’s  Seminary,  at  which  latter  place  he 
was  graduated  in  i860.  In  the  same  year  he  received 
minor  orders  from  Archbishop  Elder,  who,  observ¬ 
ing  the  extraordinary  talents  of  the  young  theolo¬ 
gian,  advised  him  to  go  to  Rome  to  finish  his  studies, 
which  he  accordingly  did,  and  was  ordained  in  1865 
by  Cardinal  Patrizzi.  On  his  return  to  this  country 
he  was  made  Vice-president  of  St.  Mary’s,  and  pro¬ 
fessor  of  dogmatic  philosophy  and  liturgy.  In  1870 
he  took  charge  of  the  parish  of  St.  Lawrence,  now 
one  of  the  finest  parishes  in  the  archdiocese.  He 
was  consecrated  April  22,  1883,  by  Archbishop  Elder. 

On  August  1,  His  Holiness  issued  another  brief  to 
the  Irish  Episcopacy  on  the  condition  of  the  faithful 
in  Ireland,  and  on  the  28th  of  the  same  month  ad¬ 
dressed  a  letter  of  thanks,  through  the  Archbishop  of 
Baltimore,  to  the  Catholics  of  America  in  general  and 
those  of  Baltimore  in  particular,  for  the  large  amount 
of  Peter’s-pence  donated  to  the  Holy  See.  On  the 
17th  of  September  he  issued  an  encyclical  to  the 
Bishops  of  the  Universal  Church  on  the  occasion  of 
the  seventh  centenary  of  the  birth  of  St.  Francis  of 
Assisi. 

The  fifth  year  of  Leo  XI II.’s  Pontificate  was  in¬ 
augurated  by  an  Apostolic  letter  on  the  Irish  agita- 


442  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


tion,  addressed  to  Cardinal  McCabe.  This  letter,  the 
third  of  the  series  sent  by  the  Pope  to  the  Catholic 
hierarchy  of  Ireland,  is  a  striking  proof  of  the  interest 
which  he  manifests  for  the  temporal  as  well  as  spirit¬ 
ual  welfare  of  the  Irish  people,  and  his  desire  to  see 
their  wrongs  redressed. 

In  the  latter  part  of  January,  1883,  the  Holy  Father 
received  a  letter  from  the  Emperor  of  Germany  in 
reply  to  a  communication  of  the  former  relative  to 
the  negotiations  pending  between  the  Holy  See  and 
Prussia.  In  his  letter  the  Prussian  monarch  ex 
pressed  a  wish  that  peace  be  restored,  and  promised 
that  the  stringent  “  May  Laws”  should  be  modified, 
in  return  for  the  conciliatory  advances  made  by  the 
Pope.  In  accordance  with  this  promise  the  “  Prussian 
Church  Bill”  was  introduced  in  the  German  Landtag, 
June  5,  and  received  the  royal  assent  the  following 
month.  By  this  bill  many  of  the  inequitable  meas¬ 
ures  of  the  code  of  laws  introduced  in  1872  were  sup¬ 
pressed,  and  a  number  of  the  exiled  German  clergy 
recalled  to  their  fatherland. 

On  May  30,  Pope  Leo  proclaimed  a  Pontifical  Con¬ 
stitution,  whereby  the  Third  Order  of  St.  Francis 
was  reconstituted  and  its  rules  revised  and  adapted 
to  the  requirements  of  the  present  time.  “  It  is  the 
special  work  of  the  Church  wisely  to  adapt  the  law,” 
says  the  Holy  Father,  “so  far  as  may  be,  to  the  age 
and  its  manners,  and  at  all  times  to  observe  the 
greatest  discretion  both  in  precepts  and  in  require¬ 
ments.  And  the  result  of  this  habitual  charity  and 
wisdom  is  that  the  Church  is  enabled  to  join  an  abso¬ 
lute  and  eternal  unchangeability  of  doctrine  to  a 
prudent  variation  of  discipline.” 

On  the  24th  of  June  the  Holy  Father  appointed 
Rev.  Joseph  Rademacher  to  the  See  of  Nashville. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  443 

The  new  bishop  was  born  Dec.  3,  1840,  in  the  German 
colony  of  Westphalia,  Clinton  Co.,  Mich.  In  1855  his 
parents  sent  him  to  St.  Vincent’s  College,  where  he 
remained  several  years,  finishing  his  theological 
studies  at  St.  Michael’s  Seminary,  near  Pittsburg. 
He  was  ordained  Aug.  2,  1863,  and  at  once  took 
charge  of  the  little  parish  of  Attica,  Fountain  Co., 
Ind.  Some  time  after,  Bishop  Dwenger  made  him 
rector  of  St.  Mary’s,  Fort  Wayne,  and  chancellor  of 
the  diocese.  He  was  transferred  in  1880  to  St. 
Mary’s,  Lafayette,  where  in  a  very  short  time  he 
gained  the  love  and  confidence  of  his  parishioners, 
and  the  esteem  of  all  classes  and  creeds. 

To  fill  the  See  of  Cincinnati,  vacant  through  the 
death  of  Archbishop  Purcell,  the  Holy  Father  named 
Rt.  Rev.  Henry  Elder,  who  had  been  made  coadjutor 
to  the  Archbishop  in  1880. 

In  a  Consistory  held  on  August  9,  he  was  pleased 
to  appoint  Rev.  Patrick  Riordan  coadjutor  to  Arch¬ 
bishop  Alemany,  of  San  Francisco.  Most  Rev.  Pat¬ 
rick  W.  Riordan,  D.D.,  was  born  August  27,  1841,  in 
Chatham,  N.  B.  He  pursued  his  theological  studies 
at  the  Louvain  University,  Belgium,  and  was  ordained 
June  10,  1865.  For  two  years  he  was  professor  of 
history  and  dogmatic  theology  in  the  Seminary  of 
St.  Mary  of  the  Lake,  Chicago,  after  which  he  became 
in  turn  pastor  of  Woodstock,  III.,  and  of  St.  James’ 
Church,  Chicago,  where  he  remained  until  his  con¬ 
secration,  September  16,  1883.  On  the  resignation  of 
Archbishop  Alemany  he  succeeded  to  the  See  of  San 
Francisco,  Dec.  28,  1884. 

On  August  18,  His  Holiness  addressed  his  famous 
letter  on  the  study  of  history  to  Cardinals  De  Luca, 
Pitra,  and  Hergenrdther,  directing  those  learned 
prelates  to  throw  open  the  treasures  of  the  Vatican 


444  LIFE  0F  P0PE  LE0  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

archives  to  men  of  learning  and  experience,  in  order 
that  the  perversions  and  errors  arising  from  the  false 
teaching  of  anti-Catholic  historians  might  be  refuted, 
and  “  that  so  honorable  a  pursuit  as  history  should  be 
prevented  at  any  cost  from  becoming  in  the  future  a 
source  of  even  more  serious  evils  to  the  social  order 
and  to  individuals.”  The  Holy  Father  urged  in 
strong  terms  the  necessity  of  meeting  so  grave  a 
danger.  In  order  to  effect  this,  he  said,  “  men  are 
needed,  deeply  versed  in  these  studies,  who  will  set 
themselves  to  write  with  the  intention  and  aim  of 
making  known  the  truth  in  all  its  fulness  and  strength, 
and  who  will  learnedly  and  ably  refute  the  injurious 
accusations,  which  have  too  long  accumulated,  against 
the  Roman  Pontiffs.  Let  the  simple  recital  of  facts 
be  replaced  by  the  fruits  of  painful  and  patient  re¬ 
search,  judgments  rashly  made  by  the  outcome  of 
serious  study,  and  frivolous  opinions  by  the  criticism 
of  wisdom.  Strenuous  efforts  should  be  made  to 
refute  all  falsehoods  and  untrue  statements  by  ascend¬ 
ing  to  the  fountain-heads  of  information,  keeping 
vividly  in  mind  that  ‘  the  first  law  of  history  is  to 
dread  uttering  falsehood  ;  the  next  not  to  fear  stating 
the  truth  ;  lastly,  that  the  historian’s  writings  should 
be  open  to  no  suspicion  of  partiality  or  of  animosity.’  ” 

On  September  i,  1883,  Pope  Leo  issued  the  encyc¬ 
lical  enjoining  the  Universal  Church  to  dedicate  the 
entire  month  of  October  to  the  devotion  of  the  holy 
Rosary,  “  that  devotion,  so  great  and  so  confident,  to 
the  august  Queen  of  Heaven.” 

This  act — an  utterly  unprecedented  one  in  the 
annals  of  the  Church — met  with  the  zeal  and  ardor  it 
deserves.  From  every  portion  of  the  globe  where 
the  cross  of  the  true  Faith  is  planted,  loving  and  pious 
hearts  have  united  in  prayer  during  the  month  of 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  445 


October  of  each  successive  year  since  the  issuing  of 
the  Papal  encyclical,  thereby  deepening  the  devo¬ 
tion  of  the  Catholic  world  to  the  Virgin  Mother  of 
God. 

The  following  is  the  text  in  part  of  the  encyclical : 

The  supreme  Apostolic  office  which  We  discharge 
and  the  exceedingly  difficult  condition  of  these  times, 
daily  warn  and  almost  compel  Us  to  watch  carefully 
over  the  integrity  of  the  Church,  the  more  that  the 
calamities  from  which  she  suffers  are  greater.  While, 
therefore,  We  endeavor  in  every  way  to  preserve  the 
rights  of  the  Church  and  to  obviate  or  repel  present 
or  contingent  dangers,  We  constantly  seek  for  help 
from  Heaven — the  sole  means  of  effecting  anything — 
that  Our  labors  and  Our  care  may  obtain  their  wished- 
for  object.  We  deem  that  there  could  be  no  surer 
and  more  efficacious  means  to  this  end  than  by  religion 
and  piety  to  obtain  the  favor  of  the  great  Virgin 
Mary,  the  Mother  of  God,  the  guardian  of  our  peace 
and  the  minister  to  us  of  heavenly  grace,  who  is 
placed  on  the  highest  summit  of  power  and  glory  in 
heaven,  in  order  that  she  may  bestow  the  help  of  her 
patronage  on  men  who  through  so  many  labors  and 
dangers  are  striving  to  reach  that  eternal  city.  Now 
that  the  anniversary,  therefore,  of  manifold  and  ex¬ 
ceedingly  great  favors  obtained  by  a  Christian  people 
through  the  devotion  of  the  Rosary  is  at  hand,  We 
desire  that  that  same  devotion  should  be  offered  by 
the  whole  Catholic  world  with  the  greatest  earnest¬ 
ness  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  that  by  her  intercession 
her  Divine  Son  may  be  appeased  and  softened  in  the 
evils  which  afflict  us.  And  therefore  We  determined, 
Venerable  Brethren,  to  despatch  to  you  these  letters 
in  order  that,  informed  of  Our  designs,  your  authority 


446  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

and  zeal  might  excite  the  piety  of  your  people  to 
conform  themselves  to  them. 

It  has  always  been  the  habit  of  Catholics  in  danger 
and  in  troublous  times  to  fly  for  refuge  to  Mary,  and 
to  seek  for  peace  in  her  maternal  goodness;  showing 
that  the  Catholic  Church  has  always,  and  with  justice, 
put  all  her  hope  and  trust  in  the  Mother  of  God. 
And  truly  the  Immaculate  Virgin,  chosen  to  be  the 
Mother  of  God  and  thereby  associated  with  Him  in 
the  work  of  man’s  salvation,  has  a  favor  and  power 
with  her  Son  greater  than  any  human  or  angelic 
creature  has  ever  obtained,  or  ever  can  gain.  And, 
as  it  is  her  greatest  pleasure  to  grant  her  help  and 
comfort  to  those  who  seek  her,  it  cannot  be  doubted 
that  she  would  deign,  and  even  be  anxious,  to  receive 
the  aspirations  of  the  Universal  Church. 

This  devotion,  so  great  and  so  confident,  to  the 
august  Queen  of  Heaven,  has  never  shone  forth  with 
such  brilliancy  as  when  the  militant  Church  of  God 
has  seemed  to  be  endangered  by  the  violence  of  heresy 
spread  abroad,  or  by  an  intolerable  moral  corruption, 
or  by  the  attacks  of  powerful  enemies.  Ancient  and 
modern  history  and  the  more  sacred  annals  of  the 
Church  bear  witness  to  public  and  private  supplica¬ 
tions  addressed  to  the  Mother  of  God,  to  the  help  she 
has  granted  in  return,  and  to  the  peace  and  tranquillity 
which  she  had  obtained  from  God.  Hence  her  illus¬ 
trious  titles  of  Helper,  Consoler,  Mighty  in  war,  Vic¬ 
torious,  and  Peace-giver. 

(H'ere  the  Holy  Father  quotes  many  instances  of  the 
intercession  of  our  Blessed  Lady.) 

Moved  by  these  thoughts  and  by  the  examples  of 
Our  Predecessors,  We  have  deemed  it  most  oppor¬ 
tune  for  similar  reasons  to  institute  solemn  prayers 
and  to  endeavor  by  adopting  those  addressed  to  the 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  447 


Blessed  Virgin  in  the  recital  of  the  Rosary  to  obtain 
from  her  Son  Jesus  Christ  a  similar  aid  against  pres¬ 
ent  dangers.  You  have  before  your  eyes,  Venerable 
Brethren,  the  trials  to  which  the  Church  is  daily  ex¬ 
posed  ;  Christian  piety,  public  morality,  nay,  even 
faith  itself,  the  supreme  good  and  beginning  of  all  the 
other  virtues,  all  are  daily  menaced  with  the  greatest 
perils. 

Nor  are  you  only  spectators  of  the  difficulty  of  the 
situation,  but  your  charity,  like  Ours,  is  keenly 
wounded ;  for  it  is  one  of  the  most  painful  and  griev¬ 
ous  sights  to  see  so  many  souls,  redeemed  by  the 
blood  of  Christ,  snatched  from  salvation  by  the  whirl¬ 
wind  of  an  age  of  error,  precipitated  into  the  abyss  of 
eternal  death.  Our  need  of  divine  help  is  as  great  to¬ 
day  as  when  the  great  Dominic  introduced  the  use  of 
the  Rosary  of  Mary  as  a  balm  for  the  wounds  of  his 
contemporaries. 

That  great  Saint  indeed,  divinely  enlightened,  per¬ 
ceived  that  no  remedy  would  be  more  adapted  to  the 
evils  of  his  time  than  that  men  should  return  to  Christ, 
who  “  is  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life,”  by  frequent 
meditation  on  the  salvation  obtained  for  us  by  Him, 
and  should  seek  the  intercession  with  God  of  that 
Virgin,  to  whom  it  is  given  to  destroy  all  heresies. 
He  therefore  so  composed  the  Rosary  as  to  recall  the 
mysteries  of  our  salvation  in  succession,  and  the  sub¬ 
ject  of  meditation  is  mingled  and,  as  it  were,  inter¬ 
laced  with  the  Angelic  salutation  and  with  the  prayer 
addressed  to  God,  the  Father  of  Our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  We,  who  seek  a  remedy  for  similar  evils,  do 
not  doubt  therefore  that  the  prayer  introduced  by 
that  most  blessed  man  with  so  much  advantage  to  the 
Catholic  world  will  have  the  greatest  effect  in  remov¬ 
ing  the  calamities  of  our  times  also.  Not  only  do  We 


448  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

earnestly  exhort  all  Christians  to  give  themselves  to 
the  recital  of  the  pious  devotion  of  the  Rosary  pub¬ 
licly,  or  privately  in  their  own  house  and  family,  and 
that  unceasingly,  but  we  also  desire  that  the  whole  of 
this  month  be  consecrated  to  the  holy  Queen  of  the 
Rosary.  We  decree  and  order  that  in  the  whole  Cath¬ 
olic  world,  during  this  year,  the  devotion  of  the  Ro¬ 
sary  shall  be  solemnly  celebrated  by  special  and  splen¬ 
did  services.  From  the  first  day  of  October,  there¬ 
fore,  until  the  second  day  of  the  November  following, 
in  every  parish  and,  if  the  ecclesiastical  authority 
deem  it  opportune  and  of  use,  in  every  chapel  dedi¬ 
cated  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  let  five  decades  of  the 
Rosary  be  recited  with  the  addition  of  the  Litany  of 
Loreto.  We  desire  that  the  people  should  frequent 
these  pious  exercises;  and  We  will  that  either  Mass 
shall  be  said  at  the  altar,  or  that  the  Blessed  Sacra¬ 
ment  shall  be  exposed  to  the  adoration  of  the  faithful, 
Benediction  being  afterwards  given  with  the  Sacred 
Host  to  the  pious  congregation.  We  highly  approve 
of  the  confraternities  of  the  holy  Rosary  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin  going  in  procession,  following  an¬ 
cient  custom,  through  the  town,  as  a  public  demon¬ 
stration  of  their  devotion.  And  in  those  places  where 
this  is  not  possible,  let  it  be  replaced  by  more  assid¬ 
uous  visits  to  the  churches,  and  let  the  fervor  of 
piety  display  itself  by  a  still  greater  diligence  in  the 
exercise  of  the  Christian  virtues. 

In  favor  of  those  who  shall  do  as  We  have  above 
laid  down,  We  are  pleased  to  open  the  heavenly 
treasure-house  of  the  Church,  that  they  may  find 
therein  at  once  encouragements  and  rewards  for  their 
piety.  We  therefore  grant  to  all  those  who,  in  the 
prescribed  space  of  time,  shall  have  taken  part  in  the 
public  recital  of  the  Rosary  and  the  Litanies,  and  shall 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


449 


have  prayed  for  Our  intention,  seven  years  and  seven 
times  forty  days  of  indulgence,  obtainable  each  time. 
We  will  that  those  also  shall  share  in  these  favors 
who  are  hindered  by  a  lawful  cause  from  joining  in 
these  public  prayers  of  which  We  have  spoken,  pro¬ 
vided  that  they  shall  have  practised  those  devotions 
in  private  and  shall  have  prayed  to  God  for  Our  in¬ 
tention.  We  remit  all  punishment  and  penalties  for 
sins  committed,  in  the  form  of  a  Pontifical  indulgence, 
to  all  who,  in  the  prescribed  time,  either  publicly  in 
the  churches  or  privately  at  home  (when  hindered 
from  the  former  by  lawful  cause)  shall  have  at  least 
practised  these  pious  exercises ;  and  who  shall  have, 
after  due  confession,  approached  the  holy  table.  We 
further  grant  a  plenary  indulgence  to  those  who, 
either  on  the  feast  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  of  the  Ro¬ 
sary  or  within  its  octave,  after  having  similarly  puri¬ 
fied  their  souls  by  a  salutary  confession,  shall  have 
approached  the  table  of  Christ  and  prayed  in  some 
church  according  to  Our  intention  to  God  and  the 
Blessed  Virgin  for  the  necessities  of  the  Church. 

(Here  follows  an  exhortation  to  the  bishops  and 
those  in  authority  to  endeavor  to  increase  the  devo¬ 
tion  of  the  Rosary.) 

The  heavenly  Patroness  of  the  human  race  will  re¬ 
ceive  with  joy  these  prayers  and  supplications,  and 
will  easily  obtain  that  the  good  shall  grow  in  virtue, 
and  that  the  erring  should  return  to  salvation,  and  re¬ 
pent  ;  and  that  God,  who  is  the  avenger  of  crime, 
moved  to  mercy  and  pity,  may  deliver  Christendom 
and  civil  society  from  all  dangers,  and  restore  to 
them  peace  so  much  desired. 

Encouraged  by  this  hope,  We  beseech  God  Him¬ 
self,  with  the  most  earnest  desire  of  Our  heart,  through 
her  in  whom  He  has  placed  the  fulness  of  all  good,  to 


450  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

grant  you,  Venerable  Brethren,  every  gift  of  heavenly 
blessing.  As  an  augury  and  pledge  of  which,  We 
lovingly  impart  to  you,  to  your  clergy,  and  to  the 
people  intrusted  to  your  care,  the  Apostolic  Benedic¬ 
tion. 

Given  in  Rome,  at  St.  Peter’s,  the  ist  of  September, 
1883,  in  the  sixth  year  of  Our  Pontificate. 

Leo  PP.  XIII. 

In  October  the  Holy  Father  sent  as  Apostolic  Com¬ 
missary  to  Canada,  for  the  regulation  of  certain  eccle¬ 
siastic  and  universitarian  questions,  the  Very  Rev. 
Henry  Smeulders,  Procurator-General  of  the  Cister¬ 
cians  at  Rome.  He  also  appointed  Very  Rev.  Canon 
Nicholas  Donnelly  titular  Bishop  of  Canea  and  aux¬ 
iliary  Bishop  to  the  Cardinal  Archbishop  of  Dublin. 

On  the  24th  of  December  His  Holiness  issued  a 
brief  in  which,  after  expressing  his  satisfaction  at  the 
result  of  his  encyclical  of  September  1,  he  recom¬ 
mended  to  the  faithful  the  daily  recitation  of  the  Ro¬ 
sary  in  the  following  words  : 

“  It  is  not  only  agreeable  to  the  devotion  of  private 
persons,  but  also  suitable  to  the  public  needs  of  the 
times,  that  this  kind  of  prayer  should  be  restored  to 
that  place  of  honor  which  it  long  held,  when  each 
Christian  family  would  suffer  no  day  to  pass  without 
the  recitation  of  the  Rosary.  For  these  reasons  We 
exhort  and  beseech  all  to  persist  religiously  and  con¬ 
stantly  in  the  daily  use  of  the  Rosary.”  He  further¬ 
more  ordered  “  as  an  enduring  testimony  of  the  un¬ 
bounded  trust  which  We  put  in  our  most  loving 
Mother,  and  in  order  that  we  may  day  by  day  more 
and  more  obtain  her  favorable  aid,”  the  insertion  in 
the  Litany  of  Loreto  of  the  invocation,  Regina  Sacra- 
tissimi  Rosnrii,  ora  pro  nobis ,  after  Regina  sine  labe ,  etc. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  TFIE  THIRTEENTH.  45  I 

On  the  27th  of  the  same  month  he  promoted  Most 
Rev.  F.  X.  Leray,  D.D.,  to  the  See  of  New  Orleans, 
vacant  through  the  death  of  Archbishop  Perche,  and 
on  the  following  day  addressed  a  letter  of  congratula¬ 
tion  to  Cardinal  McCloskey  on  the  occasion  of  that 
prelate’s  approaching  golden  jubilee  (Jan.  12,  1884). 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


The  Sixth  Year  of  Pontificate.— The  American  College— The  Church  in 
France — The  Encyclical  on  Freemasonry — Bishop  Bradley — A  Second  En¬ 
cyclical  on  the  Rosary — Bishops  Maes  and  Cosgrove— The  Year  1885 — 
Archbishop  Gross — Archbishop  Walsh  of  Dublin — Bishop  Durier — St. 
Vincent  de  Paul,  the  Patron  of  all  Charitable  Works — Cardinal  Moran — 
Bishop  Phelan — The  decree  Urbis  et  O/  bis,  regarding  the  Rosary — The 
Encyclical  on  “  The  Christian  Constitution  of  States” — A  Universal  Jubilee 
— The  Holy  Father  as  Arbitrator  in  the  affair  of  the  Caroline  Islands. 


The  first  event  of  importance  in  the  sixth  year  of 
Leo  XI II.’s  Pontificate  was  the  decision  of  the  Italian 
Court  of  Cassation  converting  the  property  of  the 
Sacred  College  of  the  Propaganda  into  Italian  Rentes. 
This  confiscation  of  what  in  reality  is  the  property  of 
the  entire  Church  was  a  direct  blow  aimed  at  the 
spiritual  mission  of  the  Church.  In  view  of  the  in¬ 
ternational  and  universal  nature  of  the  Propaganda, 
the  Holy  Father  directed  that  a  memorial,  pointing 
out  the  drawbacks  resulting  from  this  spoliation,  be 
addressed  to  the  heads  of  all  the  governments.  A 
circular  letter  was  also  issued  by  the  Sacred  Congre¬ 
gation  to  all  the  bishops  of  Catholic  Christendom,  an¬ 
nouncing  the  selection  of  twenty-three  depositaries 
for  the  future  offerings  of  the  faithful,  thereby  pre¬ 
serving  the  Propaganda  from  a  second  robbery. 

In  pursuance  of  its  sacrilegious  intention,  the  Junta 
for  Liquidation  of  Ecclesiastical  Affairs  announced 
the  sale  of  the  buildings  occupied  by  the  American 
College.  When  the  news  reached  this  country  it 
naturally  excited  no  little  indignation.  The  time  was 


THE  CHAl'EL  OF  THE  AMERICAN  COLLEGE.  ROME.  Page  453. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  455 


short,  and  action,  to  be  efficient,  must  be  prompt. 
Accordingly,  his  Grace,  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop 
Corrigan  of  New  York,  acting  for  his  Eminence  Car¬ 
dinal  McCloskey,  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  College, 
addressed  a  letter  on  the  3d  of  March  to  President 
Arthur,  calling  his  attention  to  the  proposed  sale  and 
stating  that  the  College,  though  technically  held  by 
the  Propaganda,  is  virtually  American  property. 
His  Grace  begged  that  our  government  would  lay 
the  matter  before  the  King  of  Italy,  and  ask  for  a  stay 
of  proceedings  if  it  were  not  possible  to  exempt  the 
institution,  as  American  property,  from  the  operation 
of  the  law.  Recognizing  the  justice  of  the  case, 
President  Arthur,  through  his  Secretary  of  State, 
the  late  Frederick  T.  Frelinghuysen,  at  once  com¬ 
municated  with  Mr.  William  W.  Astor,  then  Minis¬ 
ter  at  Rome,  directing  him  to  act  at  once  in  the 
matter. 

In  the  mean  time,  meetings  were  held  in  various 
parts  of  the  country  to  protest  against  the  threatened 
injustice,  and  several  bishops  exerted  themselves  and 
brought  their  influence  to  bear  on  our  government, 
in  the  hope  of  strengthening  our  case.  But  no  time 
was  lost  in  Rome,  and  on  the  29th  of  March,  Mr. 
Astor  cabled  the  gratifying  intelligence:  “American 
College  is  exempted  from  Propaganda  sale,”  follow¬ 
ing  this  message  two  days  later  by  a  letter,  enclosing 
extracts  of  a  note  from  the  Italian  Minister  of  Foreign 
Affairs,  giving  official  notice  of  the  abandonment  of 
the  sale. 

We  Catholics  certainly  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  to 
the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  of  New  York,  one  of  the 
first  students  sent  from  the  United  States  to  the  Col¬ 
lege,  through  whose  energy  and  prompt  action — in 
the  name  of  his  Eminence  the  Cardinal — the  matter 


456  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

was  brought  before  the  President,  as  well  as  to  our 
government  for  the  hearty  manner  in  which  it  not 
only  recognized  our  rights,  but  espoused  them. 

On  the  8th  of  February,  the  Holy  Father  addressed 
an  encyclical  Letter  to  the  archbishops  and  bishops 
of  France,  in  which,  after  referring  to  the  great  work 
accomplished  by  France  in  the  past,  he  dwelt  with 
much  force  on  the  great  importance  of  the  religious 
education  of  the  young,  and  the  evil  effects  resulting 
from  the  divorce  of  secular  from  religious  studies. 
“  The  Church,”  he  said,  “guardian  of  the  integrity  of 
the  Faith,  has  expressly  condemned  mixed  or  neutral 
schools  ;  over  and  over  again  she  has  warned  parents 
to  be  ever  on  their  guard  in  this  most  essential  point. 
Those,  indeed,  whose  early  days  were  not  enlightened 
by  religious  instruction,  grow  up  without  any  knowl¬ 
edge  whatever  of  the  greatest  truths  which  alone  can 
nourish  in  man  the  love  of  virtue,  and  repress  in  him 
his  evil  passions.” 

In  April  he  issued  his  famous  encyclical  on  Free¬ 
masonry,  in  view,  as  he  states,  of  the  ever-increasing 
growth  of  secret  societies  and  the  deadly  warfare 
waged  by  their  members  against  the  followers  of 
Christ.  “  Matters  have  got  to  this,  that  for  the  future 
there  is  cause  to  fear, — not,  indeed,  for  the  Church, 
whose  foundation  is  far  too  secure  for  human  power 
to  shake  it, — but  for  those  states  in  which  the  sect  of 
Masons  is  rife,  or  others  of  a  similar  kind,  who  lend 
themselves  to  it  as  their  co-operators  and  satellites.” 
In  denouncing  Freemasonry,  Pope  Leo  has  followed 
the  example  set  by  his  predecessors.  The  first  note 
of  warning  was  struck  in  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth 
century  by  Clement  XII.,  and  from  that  time  down 
to  the  present  day  the  vicars  of  Christ  have  openly 
condemned  the  Masonic  sect. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  457 


On  June  1 1,  His  Holiness  was  pleased  to  appoint,  as 
first  bishop  of  the  newly  erected  See  of  Manchester, 
Rev.  Denis  M.  Bradley,  D.D.  Bishop  Bradley  was 
born  February  25,  1846,  in  Ireland.  At  the  age  of 
eight  years  he  came  to  this  country  with  his  parents, 
who  settled  in  the  city  of  Manchester.  For  a  number 
of  years  he  was  a  student  at  Holy  Cross  College, 
Worcester,  whence  he  went  to  St.  Joseph’s  Seminary, 
Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  was  there  ordained  June  3,  1871. 
Shortly  after  his  ordination  he  was  appointed  to  the 
Cathedral  of  Portland,  Me.  He  remained  there  as 
rector  and  as  chancellor  of  the  diocese  until  the  sum¬ 
mer  of  1880,  when  he  was  appointed  to  the  charge  of 
St.  Joseph’s,  Manchester,  in  which  church  he  was, 
four  years  later,  consecrated  bishop. 

On  August  30,  the  Holy  Father  issued  a  second 
encyclical  on  the  Rosary,  in  which  he  again  recom¬ 
mended  that  beautiful  devotion,  and  thus  expressed 
his  satisfaction  with  the  manner  in  which  the  faithful 
responded  to  his  first  appeal :  “  That  wish  of  Ours  has 
been  complied  with  with  such  a  willingness  and  una¬ 
nimity  that  it  is  more  than  ever  apparent  how  real  is 
the  religion  and  how  great  is  the  fervor  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  peoples,  and  how  great  is  the  trust  everywhere 
placed  in  the  heavenly  patronage  of  the  Virgin  Mary. 
For  Us,  weighed  down  with  the  burden  of  such  and 
so  great  trials  and  evils,  We  confess  that  the  sight  of 
such  intensity  of  open  piety  and  faith  has  been  a 
great  consolation,  and  even  gives  Us  new  courage  for 
the  facing,  if  that  be  the  wish  of  God,'  of  still  greater 
trials.  Indeed,  from  the  spirit  of  prayer  which  is 
poured  out  over  the  house  of  David  and  the  dwellers 
in  Jerusalem,  We  have  a  confident  hope  that  God  will 
at  length  let  Himself  be  touched  and  have  pity  upon 
the  state  of  His  Church,  and  give  ear  to  the  pra}7ers 


458  life  Of  pope  leo  the  thirteentpi. 

coming  to  Him  through  her  whom  He  has  chosen  to 
be  the  dispenser  of  all  heavenly  graces." 

To  fill  the  Sees  of  Covington  and  Davenport,  left 
vacant  by  the  death  of  their  respective  bishops,  Rt. 
Rev.  A.  M.  Toebbe  and  Rt.  Rev.  John  McMullen,  the 
Holy  Father  appointed  Rev.  Camillus  Maes  to  the 
former  see,  and  Very  Rev.  Henry  Cosgrove  to  the 
latter,  during  the  month  of  September. 

Rt.  Rev.  Camillus  P.  Maes  was  born  of  distin¬ 
guished  Catholic  parents,  March  13,  1846,  at  Courtrai, 
Belgium.  His  theological  course  was  completed  at 
Louvain,  where  he  was  ordained  December  18,  1868, 
for  the  diocese  of  Detroit.  He  was  successively  pas¬ 
tor  of  Mount  Clemens,  Detroit,  of  St.  Mary’s  and  St. 
John’s,  both  in  Monroe,  and  secretary  of  the  diocese 
of  Detroit. 

The  second  bishop  of  Davenport,  Right  Rev. 
Henry  Cosgrove,  D.D.,  was  born  of  Irish  parents 
at  Williamsport,  Pa.,  Dec.  19,  1834.  When  he  was 
eleven  years  old  his  family  removed  to  Dubuque. 
His  course  of  theology  was  completed  at  Caron- 
dolet,  at  which  seminary  Bishop  Hennessy  of  Du¬ 
buque  was  professor  of  theology,  and  Archbishop 
Ryan  professor  of  English  literature.  He  was  or¬ 
dained  Aug.  27,  1857,  and  immediately  assumed  the 
chai'ge  of  St.  Margaret’s,  Dubuque,  where  for  twenty- 
five  years  he  labored  with  the  greatest  zeal  and 
devotion,  both  in  pastoral  and  mission  work.  When 
the  diocese  of  Davenport  was  organized,  Bishop 
McMullen  appointed  Father  Cosgrove  Vicar-general 
and,  three  years  later,  administrator  of  the  diocese. 

On  the  first  day  of  November  His  Holiness  issued  a 
Bull  confirming  the  decision  of  the  Cardinal  Arch¬ 
bishop  of  Compostella  with  regard  to  the  identity  of 
the  bodies  of  St.  James  the  Greater  and  his  disciples, 


LIFE  OF  POLE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  459 

SS.  Athanasius  and  Theodore,  rediscovered  in  the 
principal  church  of  Compostella,  and  accorded  a 
plenary  jubilee  for  the  Feast  of  St.  James,  July  25, 
1885. 

Among’  other  promotions  and  appointments  made 
during  the  year  were  those  of  Rt.  Rev.  Patrick  Ma- 
nogue,  D.D.,  to  the  bishopric  of  Grass  Valley,  of  which 
he  had  been  consecrated  coadjutor-bishop  in  1881 ; 
Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  Manucy,  since  deceased,  to  the  diocese 
of  Mobile,  to  which  he  was  transferred  from  the  Vi- 
cariate-apostolic  of  Brownsville;  Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  Bron- 
del  to  the  See  of  Helena,  erected  March  7  ;  Most  Rev. 
J.  B.  Salpointe  to  the  coadjutorship  of  Santa  F6,  to 
which  see  he  succeeded  July  18,  1885,  on  the  resigna¬ 
tion  of  Archbishop  Lamy ;  Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  Ireland  to 
the  see  of  St.  Paul,  of  which  he  had  been  appointed 
coadjutorin  1875  ;  the  Most  Rev.  C.  J.  Seghers,  since 
brutally  murdered,  to  the  bishopric  of  Vancouver’s 
Island,  to  which  he  was  transferred,  at  his  own  re¬ 
quest,  from  the  archbishopric  of  Oregon  City :  and 
Most  Rev.  Patrick  J.  Ryan,  who  was  consecrated  titu¬ 
lar  archbishop  of  Salamis  in  January,  to  the  See  of 
Philadelphia. 

Early  in  January  of  the  year  1885,  the  Holy  Father 
received  a  delegation  of  the  Catholic  Young  Men’s 
Association  in  Italy,  and  delivered  an  address  full  of 
sympathy  and  encouragement,  in  which  he  especially 
begged  them  to  strive  to  advance  the  holy  associa¬ 
tions  of  St.  Francis  and  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul,  to  aid 
the  working  classes,  and  to  labor  for  the  preserva¬ 
tion  and  salvation  of  youth. 

On  the  1st  of  February,  he  promoted  Rt.  Rev.  W.  H. 
Gross,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Savannah,  to  the  archbishop¬ 
ric  of  Oregon  City.  On  the  same  day  he  addressed 
a  letter  to  the  Emperor  Kuangsu,  in  view  of  the  dis- 


460  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

asters  which  had  overtaken  the  Christian  Missions  in 
China,  imploring  the  protection  of  that  monarch  for 
the  missionaries  and  Christians  in  his  Empire.  On 
the  4th  of  the  following  month  he  addressed  an  im- 


MOST  REV.  WILLIAM  J.  WALSH,  D.D.,  ARCHBISHOP  OF  DUBLIN. 


portant  brief  to  the  Prince  Archbishop  of  Salzburg, 
in  approval  of  the  decree  of  the  Salzburg  Landtag, 
by  which  a  Catholic  University  was  to  be  erected  in 
that  city,  “  to  shield  the  student  youth  from  the  pes¬ 
tilential  breath  of  doctrines  which  poison  all  they 
come  in  contact  with,  and  so  put  him  in  a  position  of 
drawing  from  the  well  of  pure,  unfalsified  knowl¬ 
edge.” 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  46 1 

On  the  death  of  Cardinal  McCabe,  which  occurred 
from  heart  disease  on  the  10th  of  February,  the  Holy 
Father  was  pleased  to  appoint  Very  Rev.  Dr.  William 
J.  Walsh  to  succeed  to  the  archdiocese  of  Dublin.  A 
learned  ecclesiastic,  an  ardent  patriot,  his  appointment 
was  hailed  with  delight  by  the  people  and  friends  of 
Ireland.  The  new  archbishop  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Dublin  in  1842,  and  received  his  early  education  in 
the  seminary  of  St.  Lawrence  O'Toole.  In  1856  he 
entered  the  Catholic  University,  where  having  won  a 
scholarship  in  mathematics,  he  went,  two  years  later, 
to  Maynooth.  There  he  distinguished  himself  by 
carrying  off  honors  in  all  his  classes.  In  1864  he  was 
transferred  to  Dunboyne,  where  he  spent  three  years. 
A  few  years  later  he  was  appointed  assistant  librarian 
at  Maynooth,  where  he  remained  filling  various  offices 
until  he  reached  that  of  President,  which  position  he 
occupied  most  worthily  when  called  to  the  See  of 
Dublin. 

On  March  19,  Pope  Leo  appointed  Rev.  A.  Durierto 
the  See  of  Natchitoches.  Shortly  after  this  appoint¬ 
ment,  His  Holiness  was  pleased  to  nominate  as  Vicars- 
apostolic  of  Idaho  and  Arizona,  Rev.  A.  J.  Glori- 
eux  and  Rev.  P.  Bourgade.  Rt.  Rev.  A.  J.  Glorieux, 
D.D.,  was  born  Feb.  1,  1844,  in  Belgium.  From  his 
thirteenth  till  his  nineteenth  year  he  attended  the 
College  of  Courtrai,  and  finished  his  studies  at  the 
American  College,  Louvain.  He  was  ordained  Au¬ 
gust  1 7,  1867,  and  two  months  later  came  to  this 
country,  where  he  was  appointed  to  the  Southern 
Missions  of  Oregon  until  1869,  when  he  became  rec¬ 
tor  of  St.  Paul,  French  Prairie.  Two  years  later  he 
assumed  the  charge  of  St.  Michael’s  College,  Port¬ 
land,  where  he  remained  until  his  appointment  to  the 
Vicariate-apostolic  of  Idaho. 


462  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

On  the  1 2th  of  May,  a  papal  brief  was  issued  in 
which  the  Holy  Father  proclaimed  St.  Vincent  de 
Paul  the  Patron  of  all  Charitable  Works  throughout 
the  Universal  Church,  and  on  the  24th  of  the  same 
month  he  addressed  a  letter  to  the  Cardinal  Vicar 
Parocchi,  on  the  necessity  of  a  deeper  attention  on 
the  part  of  the  clergy  to  the  higher  literary  studies, 
and  prescribed  the  institution  in  the  Roman  Semi¬ 
nary  of  Chairs  of  Advanced  Greek,  Latin,  and  Italian 
Literature.  On  July  10,  he  instituted  the  new  dio¬ 
cese  of  Nicolet,  in  the  Quebec  province,  formed  by 
the  division  of  Three  Rivers,  and  appointed  Rev.  Dr. 
Elphege  Gravel  its  first  bishop.  Dr.  Gravel  was  con¬ 
secrated  in  Rome  the  following  month. 

Among  the  prelates  raised  to  the  dignity  of  the 
Cardinalate  in  the  Consistory  of  July  27  was  Most 
Rev.  P.  F.  Moran,  Archbishop  of  Sydney. 

Most  Rev.  Patrick  Francis  Moran  was  born  at 
Leighlinbridge,  County  Carlow,  Ireland,  Sept.  27, 
1830.  He  entered  the  Irish  College  at  Rome  at  a 
very  early  age,  and  was  appointed  its  Vice-president 
when  only  twenty-six  years  old,  being  at  the  same 
time  professor  of  Hebrew  at  the  College  of  Propa¬ 
ganda.  On  his  return  to  Ireland,  his  uncle,  Cardinal 
Cullen,  appointed  him  as  his  private  secretary.  He 
was  consecrated  bishop  of  Olba  and  coadjutor  to  the 
bishop  of  Ossory,  March  5,  1872,  and  five  months 
later  succeeded  to  that  see.  His  works  on  the  an¬ 
tiquities  and  ecclesiastical  history  of  Ireland  have 
won  for  him  a  high  place  in  the  literature  of  his 
country.  He  is  the  first  Australian  Cardinal,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  ranks  of  the  Sacred  College  at  a 
much  earlier  age  than  the  majority  of  Cardinals  in 
these  later  days. 

On  August  1,  Rev.  Richard  Phelan,  D.D.,  was  con- 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  463 


secrated  coadjutor  to  Rt.  Rev.  John  Tuigg,  bishop 
of  the  dioceses  of  Pittsburgh  and  Allegheny.  Bishop 
Phelan  was  born  in  1832  in  Ireland.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-two,  before  he  had  finished  his  theological 
studies,  he  came  to  this  country,  in  answer  to  the 
earnest  appeal  oi  the  late  Bishop  O’Connor,  of  Pitts- 


PATRICK  FRANCIS,  CARDINAL  MORAN. 

burg,  for  missionaries.  For  four  years  he  attended 
the  Sulpitian  Seminary,  near  Baltimore,  where  he 
was  ordained.  His  first  work  was  at  St.  Paul’s  Cathe¬ 
dral,  Pittsburg,  where  he  remained  as  assistant  pastor 
for  three  years.  After  that  he  spent  ten  years  in  mis¬ 
sion  work  in  a  district  covering  over  forty  miles,  and 
in  1868  was  appointed  to  St.  Peter’s  Church,  Alle- 


464  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  TFIE  THIRTEENTH. 

gheny.  During  his  pastorship  there  the  pro-Cathe- 
dral  was  built. 

On  the  20th  of  August,  Pope  Leo  XIII.  issued  a  de¬ 
cree  Urbis  et  Orbis,  ordaining  the  renewal  of  the  devo¬ 
tion  of  the  Month  of  the  Rosary,  and  one  month  later 
filled  the  vacancy  left  in  the  See  of  Mobile  through 
the  resignation  of  Bishop  Manucy,  by  the  appoint¬ 
ment  of  Rev.  Jeremiah  O’Sullivan. 

On  the  10th  of  October,  Cardinal  McCloskey,  Arch¬ 
bishop  of  New  York,  breathed  his  last;  he  was  suc¬ 
ceeded  in  the  archbishopric  by  Most  Rev.  Michael  A. 
Corrigan. 

On  the  26th  of  November,  the  Holy  Father  issued 
his  encyclical  on  the  Christian  Constitution  of  States, 
from  which  we  give  the  following  brief  extract :  “  In 
these  latter  times,”  he  says,  “  a  new  law,  as  they  call 
it,  has  begun  to  prevail,  which  they  describe  as  the 
outcome  of  a  world  now  fully  developed,  and  born  of 
a  growing  liberty.  But  although  many  hazardous 
schemes  have  been  propounded  by  many,  it  is  clear 
that  never  has  any  better  method  been  found  for  es¬ 
tablishing  and  ruling  a  state  than  that  which  is  the 
natural  result  of  the  teaching  of  the  Gospel.  We 
deem  it,  therefore,  of  the  greatest  moment,  and  espe¬ 
cially  suitable  to  our  apostolic  function,  to  compare 
with  Christian  doctrine  the  new  opinions  concerning 
the  state  ;  by  which  method  we  trust  that,  truth  being 
thus  presented,  the  causes  of  error  and  doubt  will  be 
removed,  so  that  each  one  may  easily  see,  by  those 
supreme  commandments  for  living,  what  things  he 
ought  to  follow,  and  whom  he  ought  to  obey.” 

This  admirable  encyclical  was  followed  by  another 
under  date  of  Dec.  22,  in  which  the  Holy  Father,  in 
his  desire  to  provide  exceptional  aids  to  piety  and  de¬ 
votion,  proclaimed  an  Extraordinary  Jubilee  for  the 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  465 

year  1886  to  the  entire  Catholic  world,  the  third  de¬ 
creed  by  Leo  XIII.,  whose  efforts  to  promote  the 
welfare  of  his  flock  have  increased  under  the  pressure 
of  the  many  and  great  evils  that  have  assailed  the 
Church  during  his  Pontificate.  He  furthermore 
placed  this  sacred  Jubilee  under  the  special  patron¬ 
age  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  trusting  thereby  that  “  not 
a  few  souls  would  obtain  remission  of  sin  and  expia¬ 
tion,  and  be  by  faith,  piety,  and  justice  renewed  not 
only  to  hope  of  eternal  salvation,  but  also  to  presage 
of  a  more  peaceful  age.” 

One  of  the  most  important  events  of  the  year, 
showing  in  what  esteem  the  talents  and  wisdom  of 
Leo  XIII.,  imprisoned  as  he  is  and  deprived  of  his 
temporal  power,  are  held,  was  the  mediation  of  the 
Holy  Father  between  Germany  and  Spain  in  the 
question  of  the  Caroline  Islands,  which  was  brought 
to  a  successful  issue  on  the  last  day  of  the  year.  As 
a  German  paper  stated  :  “  No  one  but  the  Pope  would 
have  obtained  a  similar  success ;  the  accomplish¬ 
ment  of  such  a  result  requiring  the  veneration  univer¬ 
sally  felt  towards  Leo  XIII.,  and  the  special  gift  for 
works  of  peace  possessed  by  this  exalted  personage.” 


CHAPTER  IX. 


The  Year  1886 — Letter  to  the  Bishops  of  Germany — Bishop  Katzer — The 
American  Cardinals  :  Gibbons,  Taschereau,  and  Mazzella — Bishops  Scan- 
lan,  Ludden,  and  Curtis— The  English  Martyrs — 1887 — Bishop  Harkins — 
Leo  XIII.  and  Ireland:  The  Papal  Envoys — Bishops  Scannel,  Bonacum. 
and  Burke — The  Golden  Jubilee  of  Leo  XIII. — Conclusion. 


The  letter  addressed  by  Pope  Leo  to  the  arch¬ 
bishops  and  bishops  of  Prussia  was  the  first  impor¬ 
tant  event  of  the  year  1886.  In  this  letter,  the  Holy 
Father,  after  referring  to  the  unjust  “  May  Laws  ” 
which  had  caused  a  rupture  between  the  Holy  See 
and  Prussia,  went  on  to  speak  of  the  right  of  the 
Church  to  liberty  of  government,  and  the  exclusive 
right  and  duty  of  bishops  to  educate  candidates  for 
the  priesthood.  The  letter  concluded  with  a  refer¬ 
ence  to  the  work  done  by  Catholic  missionaries  in 
the  German  colonies. 

On  March  2,  the  Church  suffered  a  great  loss  in 
the  untimely  death  of  Cardinal  Angelo  Jacobini.  On 
the  26th  of  the  same  month  His  Holiness  transferred 
Rt.  Rev.  Thos.  A.  Becker,  D.D.,  from  the  See  of  Wil¬ 
mington  to  that  of  Savannah,  and  two  months  later 
he  transferred  the  See  of  Grass  Valley  to  Sacramento, 
under  its  present  occupant,  Bishop  Manogue. 

The  See  of  Green  Bay,  vacant  through  the  death  of 
Bishop  Krautbauer,  was  provided  for  on  the  30th  of 
May  by  the  appointment  of  Dr.  Katzer.  Rt.  Rev. 
Frederick  X.  Katzer,  D.D.,  who,  after  Bishop  Ver- 
tin,  is  the  youngest  bishop  in  the  province,  was 
born  at  Ebensee,  Austria,  1844.  For  a  number  of 


HIS  EMINENCE,  JAMES,  CARDINAL  GIBBONS. 


Born  in  Baltimore,  July  13,  1834. 

Ordained  June  30,  1861. 

Consecrated  Bishop,  August  16,  1868. 
Succeeded  to  the  See  of  Baltimore,  October  3,  1877, 
Created  Cardinal,  June  7,  1886. 


Page  467. 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  469 

years  he  attended  a  Jesuit  College  at  Kinz,  and  came 
to  America  at  the  age  of  twenty.  He  entered  the 
Seminary  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales,  near  Milwaukee, 
was  ordained  in  1866,  and  remained  there  as  profes¬ 
sor  of  mathematics,  philosophy,  and  dogmatic  theol¬ 
ogy  for  nine  years.  In  1875,  when  Bishop  Kraut- 
bauer  was  appointed  to  the  See  of  Green  Bay,  Father 
Katzer  became  his  secretary  and  eventually  Vicar- 
general  of  the  diocese. 

In  a  Consistory  held  on  June  7,  the  Holy  Father 
created  seven  new  Cardinals,  among  them  the  Arch¬ 
bishops  of  Baltimore  and  Quebec,  and  Rev.  Camillus 
Mazzella,  S.J.,  Prefect  of  Studies  in  the  Gregorian 
University. 

His  Eminence,  James,  Cardinal  G  ibbons  was  born  in 
Baltimore,  July  13,  1834,  and  was  baptized  in  the 
time-honored  Cathedral  of  that  city.  He  pursued  his 
studies,  literary  as  well  as  ecclesiastical,  under  the 
care  of  the  Sulpitian  Fathers  at  St.  Charles’  College 
and  St.  Mary’s  Seminary,  and  was  ordained  in  i860 
by  Archbishop  Kenrick.  He  was  first  appointed  as¬ 
sistant  at  St.  Patrick’s,  Baltimore,  and  then  pastor  of 
St.  Bridget’s,  Canton,  and  secretary  to  the  Arch¬ 
bishop.  In  1868,  when  North  Carolina  was  erected 
into  a  Vicariate-apostolic,  he  was  selected  to  take 
charge  of  this  most  unpromising  field  of  labor,  and 
was  consecrated  Bishop  of  Adramyttum,  August  16, 
and  at  once  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  arduous 
position.  During  the  four  years  that  he  remained 
there,  he  gained  many  converts  to  the  Faith  by  his 
eloquent  discourses,  in  which  the  rare  qualities  of  his 
mind  were  displayed.  On  the  30th  of  July,  1872,  he 
was  translated  to  the  See  of  Richmond,  retaining, 
however,  the  Vicariate-apostolic  of  North  Carolina. 
In  1877  he  was  appointed  coadjutor  to  Archbishop 


I 


470  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

Bayley,  and  on  the  death  of  that  prelate,  Oct.  3rd  of 
the  same  year,  succeeded  to  the  See  of  Baltimore,  of 
which  he  is  the  ninth  archbishop.  When  the  third 
Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore  was  convened  in  No¬ 
vember,  1884,  Archbishop  Gibbons  was  appointed  by 
the  Holy  Father  to  preside  as  Delegate  Apostolic. 

His  Eminence,  Elzear  Alexander,  Cardinal  Tasche- 
reau,  the  first  Canadian  Cardinal,  was  born  February 
1 7,  1820,  at  Ste.  Marie  de  la  Beauce,  and  is  a  descend¬ 
ant  of  one  of  the  most  illustrious  families  of  Canada. 
PIis  studies  were  pursued  in  Quebec ;  while  on  a  visit 
to  Rome,  he  received  the  ecclesiastical  tonsure,  and 
was  ordained  at  Quebec,  Sept.  10,  1842,  entering  at 
once  upon  the  duties  of  his  sacred  office,  which  he 
acquitted  with  the  utmost  zeal,  devotion,  and  self-sac¬ 
rifice.  In  1849  he  was  appointed  professor  in  the 
Seminary  of  Quebec,  the  following  year  superior  of 
the  Grand  Seminary,  and  two  years  later  rector  of 
the  Laval  University,  with  which  institution  he  has 
been  closely  identified.  In  1854  he  was  deputed  to 
bear  to  the  Holy  Father  the  decrees  of  the  Second 
Provincial  Council  of  Quebec.  He  was  appointed  in 
1870  bishop  in  partibus  and  coadjutor  to  Archbishop 
Baillargeon,  whom  he  succeeded  March  19,  1871. 

Cardinal  Mazzella  was  born  at  Vitulano,  Italy,  Feb¬ 
ruary  10,  1833.  He  entered  the  Society  of  Jesus  at  a 
very  early  age,  and  in  1867  was  sent  by  his  superior  to 
this  country.  When  the  Jesuit  scholasticate  at  Wood- 
stock  was  opened  in  1869,  he  was  appointed  prefect- 
general  of  studies  and  professor  of  theology.  In 
October,  1878,  he  was  summoned  to  Rome  to  profess 
theology  in  the  Gregorian  University,  or  German 
Hungarian  College,  of  which  he  was  appointed  in 
1880  prefect-general  of  studies.  Cardinal  Mazzella  is 
the  author  of  several  learned  theological  works,  and 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 


471 


has  collaborated  a  number  of  scientific  reviews  of 
France,  Rome,  and  America. 

In  raising  Father  Mazzella  to  the  dignity  of  the 
Cardinalate,  Pope  Leo  conferred  a  great  honor  on  the 
Society  of  Jesus,  for  which  he  has  ever  entertained 
the  greatest  love  and  esteem.  As  a  further  proof  of 
his  paternal  affection,  he  issued,  on  the  13th  of  July,  a 
brief  reinstating  that  Society  in  the  Canonical  condi¬ 
tion  which  it  held  prior  to  the  Brief  Dominus  ac  Re- 
demptor  of  Clement  XIV.,  by  which  “  out  of  love  of 
peace,  and  to  re-establish  a  good  understanding  be¬ 
tween  the  Floly  See  and  the  Courts  of  Europe,”  he 
suppressed  the  Society,  which  was  restored  to  its 
pristine  state  by  Pius  VI I.  in  1814.  It  is  the  earnest 
wish  of  the  Holy  Father  that  the  Society  founded  by 
St.  Ignatius  Loyola  more  than  three  hundred  years 
ago  may  e<  go  on  in  the  way  it  has  chosen,  to  the 
greater  glory  of  God  and  the  greater  salvation  of 
souls ;  in  the  work  of  its  missions,  leading  and  recall¬ 
ing  infidels  and  heretics  to  the  light  of  truth,  training 
up  youth  in  Christian  virtue  and  sound  learning,  fol¬ 
lowing  the  Angelic  Doctor  when  teaching  philosophi¬ 
cal  and  theological  science.” 

On  the  1st  of  September,  Leo  XIII.  published  his 
Apostolic  Letters,  in  which,  recognizing  the  services 
rendered  to  religion  by  Portugal,  he  created  a  hier¬ 
archy  in  the  East  Indies.  In  the  same  month  he 
erected  the  Territory  of  Utah  into  a  Vicariate-apos- 
tolic,  under  the  charge  of  Very  Rev.  Laurence  Scan- 
lan,  and  named  Very  Rev.  P.  Ludden  first  bishop  of 
the  newly  erected  See  of  Syracuse,  formed  by  the  divi¬ 
sion  of  the  diocese  of  Albany.  Bishop  Ludden,  who 
is  now  in  the  prime  of  life,  was  born  in  Ireland.  He 
completed  his  theological  studies  at  the  Grand  Semi¬ 
nary  in  Montreal,  and  was  ordained  in  1864.  For  six- 


472  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

teen  years  he  was  stationed  at  the  Cathedral  in  Al¬ 
bany,  after  which  he  became  pastor  of  St.  Peter’s 
Church,  and  Vicar-general  and  administrator  of  the 
diocese  of  Albany. 

To  fill  the  See  of  Wilmington,  vacant  through  the 
transfer  of  Bishop  Becker  to  Savannah,  His  Holiness 
appointed  Rev.  Alfred  A.  Curtis,  on  November  15th. 
The  new  prelate  was  born  in  Somerset  Co.,  Md.,  of 
Protestant  parents.  He  was  educated  for  the  minis¬ 
try,  and  in  1859  became  a  minister  of  the  Episcopal 
Church.  For  two  years  he  was  assistant  rector  of  St. 
Luke’s  Church,  Baltimore,  and  for  nine  years  rector  of 
Mt.  Calvary  Church,  in  the  same  city.  After  his 
resignation  of  the  latter  charge,  he  visited  England, 
where  he  met  Cardinal  (then  Dr.)  Newman,  and 
shortly  after  was  received  into  the  Catholic  Church. 
On  his  return  to  America,  he  entered  St.  Mary’s  Sem¬ 
inary,  and  was  ordained  two  years  later  by  Arch¬ 
bishop  Bayley,  who  appointed  him  his  secretary  and 
assistant  priest  at  the  Cathedral,  where  he  remained 
until  his  appointment  to  the  See  of  Wilmington. 

An  event  of  more  than  usual  interest  to  English- 
Speaking  Catholics  was  the  beatification  of  the  Eng¬ 
lish  Martyrs,  priests  and  laymen,  who  suffered  for  the 
faith  under  Henry  VIII.  and  Elizabeth.  The  Cause 
of  these  martyrs  begun  at  Rome  contained  355  names. 
Of  these,  fifty-four — including  Cardinal  John  Fisher, 
Sir  Thomas  More,  and  others  not  so  well  known — 
were  by  exception  declared  Blessed  at  once :  some 
cases  were  postponed,  and  the  rest  will  be  proceeded 
with  step  by  step.  It  was  on  December  9,  1886,  that 
the  Holy  Father  was  pleased  to  approve  the  report 
of  the  Congregation  of  Sacred  Rites,  and  the  process 
of  beatification  being  thus  completed,  it  is  now  lawful 
to  venerate  the  names  of  these  Martyrs  in  the  same 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  473 

degree  as  paid  to  other  saints.  In  due  time  an  office 
and  a  Mass  will  be  allotted  to  their  festival. 

To  fill  the  See  of  Providence,  vacant  through  the 
death  of  Bishop  Hendricken,  the  Holy  Father  was 
pleased  to  appoint,  in  the  beginning  of  the  present 
year,  Rev.  Matthew  Harkins,  rector  of  St.  James’ 
Church,  Boston.  Bishop  Harkins  was  born  in  Boston, 
in  the  year  1847.  After  a  preparatory  course  of 
studies  in  his  native  city,  he  attended  the  Holy  Cross 
College,  Worcester,  for  one  year,  going  from  thence  to 
the  Seminary  of  St.  Sulpice,  Paris,  where  he  was  or¬ 
dained  in  1869.  After  an  eight  years’  pastorship  of 
St.  Malachy’s  Church,  Arlington,  he  was  transferred 
to  St.  James’  Church,  Boston,  one  of  the  largest*  and 
most  important  parishes  in  the  city. 

Moved  by  a  tender  solicitude  for  one  of  the  most 
cherished  portions  of  his  flock,  His  Holiness,  in  June 
of  this  year,  sent  as  his  envoys  to  Ireland  Mgr.  Igna¬ 
tius  Persico  and  the  Abate  Enrico  Gualdi,  Secretary 
at  the  Propaganda  for  English-Irish  affairs.  Promi¬ 
nent  Englishmen  visiting  Rome,  repeatedly,  it  is  said, 
declared  to  the  Pope  that  the  reports  from  Ireland 
were  falsified,  and  the  condition  of  the  country  mis¬ 
represented.  To  satisfy  himself  on  this  point,  His 
Holiness  sent  his  two  envoys,  selecting  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  men  not  prejudiced  in  favor  of  the  English,  who 
would  clearly  see  and  faithfully  report  the  condition 
of  Ireland.  One  of  these  envoys,  Mgr.  Persico,  is 
well  known  in  this  country,  having  been  bishop  of 
Savannah  for  three  years,  which  See  he  was  forced, 
through  ill  health,  to  resign  in  1872.  One  incident  of 
his  trip  to  Ireland  is  worth  recording: — 

On  Sunday,  July  10,  after  he  and  Archbishop  Walsh 
had  returned  to  the  archiepiscopal  residence  in  Rut¬ 
land  Square  from  a  visit  to  a  number  of  churches  in 


474  LIFE  of  POPE  LEO  the  thirteenth. 


Dublin,  a  temperance  excursion,  that  had  come  from 
Athlone  by  special  train  to  Dublin,  drew  up  in  Rut¬ 
land  Square  with  their  band  playing  and  banners  fly¬ 
ing,  to  get  the  Archbishop’s  blessing.  Dr.  Walsh 
not  only  complied  with  their  desire,  but  induced  Mgr. 
Persico  to  go  out  on  the  balcony  also.  It  was  a 
very  picturesque  sight,  the  Archbishop  of  Dublin,  in 
his  soutane,  red-edged,  with  red  buttons,  and  small 
cape,  wearing  his  red  baretta  and  his  pectoral  cross, 
standing  on  the  balcony  beside  the  direct  representa¬ 
tive  of  the  Holy  Father,  who  was  clothed  in  the 
brown  Capuchin  habit,  his  rank  being  denoted  by 
little  more  than  his  ring,  gold  cross,  and  purple  rabbi. 
The  excursionists,  whose  numbers  had  been  increased 
by  a  large  body  of  sympathizers,  were  massed  below. 
After  the  two  prelates  had  given  their  blessings  to 
the  kneeling  multitude,  Mgr.  Persico,  stepping  for¬ 
ward,  earnestly  regarded  the  crowd  for  a  moment, 
and  then  called  out  in  a  firm  voice  in  English — “  God 
save  Ireland.”  A  man  in  the  street,  in  stentorian 
tones  responded  “  Amen.”  This  was  followed  by 
loud  cheering.  After  their  lordships  had  retired,  the 
band  played  several  airs,  including,  of  course,  “  God 
save  Ireland,”  and  the  processionists  then  resumed 
their  march. 

As  an  evidence  of1  the  growth  of  the  Church,  the 
creation  of  a  new  See  is  always  gratifying,  and  it  was 
with  pleasure  that  the  news  was  received  here,  early 
in  July,  that  four  new  dioceses  had  been  created,  viz.: 
Wichita  and  Concordia,  Kansas  ;  Lincoln,  Nebraska; 
and  Cheyenne,  Wyoming  Territory.  The  names  of 
the  future  bishops  were  reported  as :  Rev.  James 
O'Reilly,  ol  Topeka,  Kan.,  for  Wichita;  Very  Rev. 
Richard  Scannel,  Vicar-general  of  Nashville,  Tenn., 
for  Concordia;  Rev.  Thomas  Bonacum,  of  St.  Louis, 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  475 

for  Lincoln  ;  and  Rev.  Maurice  Bourke,  of  Joliet,  for 
Cheyenne.  Shortly  after  the  news  of  his  appoint¬ 
ment  as  bishop,  the  Rev.  James  O'Reilly  was  taken 
ill,  and  died  after  a  few  days’  sickness. 

Father  Bonacum  was  born  in  Ireland,  near  Thurles, 
Tipperary  County,  January  29,  1847.  He  came  with 
his  parents  to  this  country  in  his  infancy,  and  after  a 
brief  sojourn  in  New  Orleans  the  family  moved  to  St. 
Louis,  where  Father  Bonacum  attended  St.  Patrick’s 
parochial  school  until  his  fourteenth  year.  He  then 
went  to  Milwaukee,  entering  on  a  five  years’  course 
of  classical  studies  at  the  seminary  of  St.  Francis. 
Having  finished  there  with  distinction  and  already 
decided  on  his  priestly  vocation,  he  became  a  student 
in  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Cape  Girardeau,  and 
was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  in  St.  Mary’s  Church, 
St.  Louis,  by  the  late  Bishop  Melcher,  of  Green  Bay, 
Wis. 

After  his  ordination,  Father  Bonacum  went  abroad, 
and  for  two  years  attended  the  University  of  Wurz¬ 
burg,  in  Germany,  studying  ecclesiastical  history  and 
canon  law  under  his  Eminence  Cardinal  Hergenro- 
ther,  and  apologetics  under  the  celebrated  Dr.  Het¬ 
tinger.  Completing  the  course,  he  returned  to  Amer¬ 
ica.  In  1881  he  was  appointed  pastor  of  the  Church 
of  the  Holy  Name,  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  when  ap¬ 
pointed  bishop.  In  1884  Father  Bonacum  attended 
the  Third  Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore,  as  theolo¬ 
gian  to  the  Archbishop  of  St.  Louis,  and  in  the  same 
year,  on  the  recommendation  of  the  late  Bishop 
Baltes,  of  Alton,  Ill.,  he  was  nominated  for  the  new 
See  of  Belleville,  Ill.  The  Holy  See,  however,  did 
not  see  fit  to  divide  the  diocese  of  Alton,  and  Father 
Bonacum  continued  in  St.  Louis. 

Rev.  Richard  Scannel  is  a  native  of  the  County 


476  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH 

Cork,  and  made  his  ecclesiastical  studies  at  All  Hal¬ 
lows’  College,  Dublin,  where  he  was  ordained  priest 
in  1871  for  the  diocese  of  Nashville.  He  there  served 
as  assistant  at  the  Cathedral,  as  rector  of  St.  Colum- 
ba’s,  as  administrator  of  the  diocese  during  the  in¬ 
terval  between  the  departure  of  Bishop  Feehan  for 
Chicago  and  the  arrival  of  Bishop  Rademacher,  and 
was  for  some  years  rector  of  St.  Joseph’s  Church, 
Nashville.  In  the  summer  of  1886  he  was  appointed 
Vicar-general  of  the  diocese  of  Nashville.  His  ele¬ 
vation  to  a  position  in  the  hierarchy  had  been  ex¬ 
pected  for  some  time.  Those  who  know  him  antici¬ 
pate  a  zealous  administration  of  the  laws  of  the 
Church  throughout  the  diocese  over  which  he  may 
be  placed. 

As  this  book  is  going  to  press,  the  Catholic  world 
is  preparing  for  a  fitting  celebration  of  the  Holy 
Father’s  Golden  Jubilee  as  a  priest,  which  occurs 
December  31,  1887. 

In  a  circular  issued  by  the  Committee  in  Rome 
presided  over  by  his  Eminence  Cardinal  Schiaffino, 
Catholics  are  invited  to  show  their  unity  and  their 
love  for  the  See  of  Peter,  in  the  midst  of  a  society 
torn  and  distracted  by  a  thousand  dissensions,  by  re¬ 
citing  daily  a  short  prayer  for  the  intentions  of  the 
Holy  Father ;  by  sending  him  some  offering,  great  or 
small,  in  money  or  in  kind ;  by  joining  in  pilgrimages 
to  Rome,  either  personally  or  in  spirit ;  and  lastly,  by 
taking  part  in  the  Exhibition  which  will  be  opened  in 
the  gardens  of  the  Vatican  on  December  31,  and  re¬ 
main  open  for  three  months.  Among  objects  to  be 
exhibited  are  altar  linen,  vestments,  church  plate, 
crosses,  candlesticks,  cruets,  window-glass,  liturgical 
and  other  books,  art  works  and  processes,  music, 
medals,  and  altar  wines.  Space  will  be  set  apart  in 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  477 

the  Exhibition  buildings  for  the  different  dioceses  of 
the  world,  and  these  will  be  grouped  together  in  na¬ 
tional  order.  In  a  circle  of  buildings  within  the 
quadrangle,  the  British  Isles,  Germany,  Spain,  Bel¬ 
gium,  Greece,  Switzerland,  Servia,  Turkey,  and  Af¬ 
rica  will  find  their  places.  France,  Russia,  Bulgaria, 
Roumania,  Portugal,  and  Holland  will  be  placed  on 
the  side  of  the  “  Bracchio  Nuovo,”  and  on  the  side 
opposite  will  be  the  Empire  of  Brazil  and  the  South 
American  Republics.  On  the  side  next  to  the  library, 
Asia,  Australia,  New  Zealand,  and  Austria  will  ex¬ 
hibit  their  gifts.  Opposite  these  will  be  arranged 
Canada,  the  United  States,  and  the  West  Indies.  The 
various  presents  sent  to  the  Holy  Father  from  all 
parts  of  the  world  will  here  be  shown  to  the  thou¬ 
sands  and  thousands  who  will  flock  to  Rome  during 
Jubilee-tide. 

Princes  and  peoples,  governments,  societies,  high 
and  low,  rich  and  poor,  are  rivals  at  this  moment  in 
sending  gifts  to  the  “  Pope  of  Rome,”  to  use  the  vig¬ 
orous  phrase  which  the  Flemish  of  to-day  and  the 
English  Catholics  of  old  used.  From  Patagonia 
comes  the  humble  handiwork  of  its  simple  Indians,  as 
acceptable  an  offering  as  the  widow’s  mite.  Through 
the  Armenian  Patriarch,  the  Sultan  has  sent  a  ring 
set  with  brilliants,  valued  at  ten  thousand  pounds. 
The  Empress  of  China  and  England’s  Queen  intend, 
it  is  said,  sending  gifts.  The  Queen  of  Spain,  whose 
son  is  the  Pope’s  godchild,  expresses  her  gratitude  in 
an  autograph  letter,  accompanied  by  a  splendid  ring 
of  sapphires.  Other  sovereigns  are  preparing  their 
gifts ;  among  them  the  venerable  Emperor  William, 
who  has  ordered  a  priceless  jewel  from  a  leading  firm 
of  jewellers  at  Berlin.  Belgium  has  decided  to  send 
a  gift  from  each  of  its  three  thousand  parishes,  as 


478  LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

well  as  presents  from  its  dioceses,  clubs,  and  colleges. 
We  may  here  notice  the  gift  which  an  English  Catho¬ 
lic  sent  the  Holy  Father,  namely,  an  Easter  egg 
containing  a  most  costly  ruby. 

The  Children  of  Mary  belonging  to  the  two  thou¬ 
sand  five  hundred  associations  scattered  over  the 
world  are  invited  to  recite  daily  the  Rosary  for  the 
Pope’s  intentions,  to  present  to  His  Holiness  an  ante- 
pendium  richly  worked,  and  an  illuminated  album  of 
the  names  of  all  the  associations  who  accept  the  invi¬ 
tation,  and  to  offer  a  purse  of  money  to  the  Holy 
Father,  and  to  provide  ornaments  for  poor  churches, 
and  linen  for  the  children  of  the  poor  of  Rome.  The 
invitation  is  issued  by  Mdlle.  Laurentine  Maze  de  la 
Roche,  of  Turin,  who  made  a  similar  appeal  on  the 
occasion  of  Pius  IX.’s  Jubilee,  then  and  now  with  the 
sanction  of  his  Eminence  the  Cardinal  Archbishop  of 
Turin. 

The  Religious  Orders  are  stirring  themselves  to 
show  their  filial  love  for  the  Holy  Father.  The  fol¬ 
lowing  passage  is  taken  from  a  circular  sent  out  by 
the  General  of  the  Carmelites  to  the  Provincials  of 
the  Order: 

“  I  am  persuaded  that  this  year  our  Order  desires 
to  manifest  its  love  towards  the  Holy  Pontiff  by 
demonstrations  more  than  ever  devoted  and  generous. 
This  year  all  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Reformed 
Carmel  will  certainly  offer  to  the  Most  High  with 
redoubled  fervor  their  acts  of  thanksgiving,  their 
prayers  and  other  good  works ;  from  all  our  con¬ 
vents  and  monasteries,  from  all  the  pious  reunions 
of  our  Tertiaries,  and  from  all  the  members  of  the 
Confraternity  of  the  Holy  Scapular  and  other  asso¬ 
ciations  affiliated  to  Carmel,  will  rise  to  the  Throne 
of  God  supplications  and  ardent  desires  for  the  exal- 


LIFE  OF  POPE  LEO  THE  THIRTEENTH.  479 


tation  of  Holy  Church,  for  the  glorification  of  the 
Papacy,  and  for  the  preservation  of  the  person  of  the 
Supreme  Pastor  during  many  long  and  happy  years. 
But  doubtless  our  veneration,  our  filial  affection 
would  also  manifest  itself  and  make  itself  sensibly  felt 
by  a  befitting  contribution  of  Peter’s-pence,  and  by  the 
offering  of  an  object  of  ecclesiastical  art  to  the  Holy 
Father.  This  will  be  a  Papal  cross,  that  cross  which 
the  Sovereign  Pontiff  holds  with  his  sacred  hand,  in 

place  of  the  crozier  held  by  bishops . We 

shall  present  it  in  the  name  of  all  our  Order  to  the 
Holy  Father,  and  we  have  the  fond  hope  that  His 
Holiness  will  deign  to  receive  it  with  pleasure,  anc 
will  make  use  of  it  on  the  solemn  day  of  his  Sacer¬ 
dotal  Jubilee.” 

An  art  competition  is  open  to  architects  through 
out  the  world  for  the  plan  of  an  altar,  with  all  its  de¬ 
tails,  for  which  the  first  premium  is  four  thousand 
francs.  The  Bibliographical  Society  of  Paris  is  send¬ 
ing  to  Rome  specimens  of  the  best  French  editions  of 
Catholic  works.  The  religious  of  Notre  Dame  de 
Lerins  will  send  an  illuminated  volume  containing 
the  Magnificat  in  one  hundred  and  fifty  different  lan¬ 
guages.  Belgium  contributes  a  collection  of  all 
Catholic  books  published  there  since  the  revolution 
of  1830.  The  gift  of  German  Catholics  takes  a  liter¬ 
ary  shape,  for  they  will  send  20,000  volumes,  scien¬ 
tifically  catalogued,  published  in  Germany  since  the 
accession  of  Leo  XI II.  to  the  throne  of  Peter.  Hol¬ 
land  promises  a  polychrome  altar  carved  in  oak ;  Na¬ 
ples,  a  throne  of  handsome  workmanship. 

The  Holy  Father  will  celebrate  his  Jubilee  Mass 
on  the  morning  of  January  1,  1888. 

The  ceremonies  on  the  occasion  of  the  Jubilee  will, 
by  order  of  the  Holy  Father,  be  held  in  the  large 


480  life  of  POPE  LEO  the  thirteenth. 

hall  over  the  entrance  to  St.  Peter’s.  It  was  from 
this  loggia  that  the  Popes  were  wont  to  give  their 
blessing  Urbi  et  Orbi  on  Easter  Sunday.  It  was  in  the 
same  hall  that  the  Washing  of  the  Feet  formerly  took 
place  in  Holy  Week,  and  it  was  there  that  Leo  XIII. 
received  the  numerous  deputation  of  Slavs,  and  pro¬ 
claimed  the  canonization  of  St.  Benedict  Labre.  The 
hall  is  already  being  prepared  for  the  Jubilee  at  the 
close  of  the  year. 

Up  to  the  present  writing,  no  definite  action  has 
been  determined  on  by  the  faithful  of  the  United 
States,  but  the  devotion  they  have  always  shown  to 
the  Holy  See  will  no  doubt  soon  take  a  form  in  every 
way  worthy  of  their  firm  faith  and  open-handed  gen¬ 
erosity. 


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3  3125  00075  8785 


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